Lenz's Law
by LicketySplat
Summary: There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face. Rei is no exception. AU. A ReiMina fic. Shoujoai.
1. Prologue: Differentiation

**Disclaimer: **Is this really necessary? I don't own any of the sailor scouts. So there.

My first fic! Yay me. Am I missing anything? Oh yes. The education system here mirrors Singapore's. But I couldn't bear to do away with the seifukus. The beauty of fanfiction. AU. XD

Both Rei and Minako are 16 going 17 in here.

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**Lenz's Law**

_by_

_LicketySplat_

**Prologue: Differentiation**

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'A.M.' were the initials etched onto the rim of the black, lightly padded laptop case she had rested securely on her lap, and were the initials she had been staring at while her mind took off to some obscure cosmic region in a bid to pass the time.

Minako traced the letters with the tips of her fingers with disinterest and released a tired sigh.

She had arrived at the subway platform just a split second late and had huffed in annoyance while watching the subway accelerate and whisk off into the darkness, metallic clanks gradually fading away. It would be a good fifteen minutes before the next one arrived. A good fifteen minutes for Lady Luck to decide whether or not to have mercy on Minako who would otherwise be late, for her first day at Junior College no less.

"Stupid mutt just had to relieve itself outside my stupid room door," Minako groused and strolled towards a bench that had definitely seen better days. "And stupid Minako had to step on stupid mutt's doodoo." Plopping onto the wobbly structure, she had then proceeded to allow innumerable forms of punishment for Misty to circulate within her sleep deprived brain.

_Nah, little thing just didn't know any better._ Minako nodded to herself. _Benefit of doubt. Yes. Besides, I don't think I can withstand those eyes. _Images of Misty's large hazel orbs came into focus in Minako's mind. _Those are the reason why I chose her from the rest of the pups anyway. _She put her utmost effort into forgetting the squishy, wet, squelching -_NOT going there!- _Minako squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently, blonde tresses swishing about with every movement she made. _Never again!_

The puppy had deemed it its mission to keep her awake through the night, howling and scratching at Minako's door till she opened it to allow Misty entrance. Just when sleep rolled in, the puppy had started its commotion once more, this time begging to exit her room. It was only after five times of the same episode that Misty had ceased her caterwauling and Minako had all but flopped onto her bed like a beached whale. Then the alarm went off. The damned thing took its last few ticks airborne before it slammed into the grass outside with a feeble ring. Then _that_ had to happen.

_Looks like a new alarm clock is in order, _Minako mentally filed that reminder away in some vague corner of her mind. She fiddled with the scarlet ribbon she had used to pull her hair back into a high ponytail, absentmindedly twiddling the loose ends round an index finger. Heaving yet another defeated sigh, she straightened the black collar of her seifuku and brushed non-existent dust off the cream coloured scarf. _Hopefully looking presentable will have its merits._

The platform was well-lit, with the only non-functioning light above some vending machines to the far left of Minako. More people started milling around as minutes flew by, shuffling about in their early morning fuzz.

An intensifying clamor that signaled the arrival of the train brought Minako's mind back from orbit. With a waning, high pitched squeal of its brakes, the train came to a stop. Rising quickly, she pranced towards the carriage closest to her and waited expectantly for the doors to part. A blast of frigid air hit her when they did, and she entered. Minako desperately zipped about people in search of a seat in which to sleep for the remaining half an hour till her stop and finally chanced upon one. She zeroed in on her target while her peripheral vision registered a portly man doing likewise. _Success! _Minako cheered inwardly and sat on the warm seat that betrayed the presence of another person seconds ago, ignoring the death glares El Fatso was cannonballing her way. With a jerk, the train started.

Seats lined each side of the carriage, parallel to and facing each other with people filling in the space that separated them. In that space were grab poles for standing commuters to cling onto when the train went on its erratic course.

Observing her surroundings was Minako's way of feeling at ease as the subway had the peculiar tendency of picking up people better off in a strait jacket. _Like that man over there, _Minako cringed. _Who thinks he's doing a swell job at pole dancing with the grab pole. _She shifted her attention away from the man who was now wrapped around the pole and grinding himself against it. _Oh God save that brilliant soul._

The occupants of the seats opposite of Minako were blessedly normal, from what she could make out around the coats and paraphernalia of standing people. _Man picking his nose, woman applying mascara, sleeping old man who looks as though he is about to pitch over and sprawl onto the girl beside him and…hold on. Back up a bit here!_

Halting all further scrutiny of the rest of the commuters, Minako allowed her eyes to linger on the girl directly across from her. Sleep would definitely bypass Minako this time.

The girl's hair was a lustrous black which had been pulled up into a messy bun that was piled on top of her head, making her look effortlessly alluring. Minako found herself wondering how far those tresses would fall down the girl's back should she undo it. Tendrils of raven hair which had escaped their constraints framed her heart-shaped face and caressed her sculpted cheekbones gently. Bangs that fell past the defined arches that were her eyebrows, and into her line of vision, were swept to the side by elegant fingers in one graceful motion. Those said fingers then proceeded to push up the pair of maroon, thick-rimmed spectacles that had slipped from its perch on the strong bridge of her nose.

Minako sat transfixed as her eyes followed the movement of those lithe hands. _Up to her bangs, a sweep, then down to her spectacles, a nudge. A moments pause, then back up to her bangs again. _The tiniest of giggles escaped Minako's lips. _Its like a routine! How cute…I wonder how her hair feels like…_

The girl's fringe regrettably shielded Minako's view of her eyes which were riveted onto a tome-sized book that lay open on her lap. Crusty and brown around the edges, the massive volume that only resembled – oh, say - the thickest encyclopedia of the letter 'A', looked as though it could demolish a phone booth within microseconds of falling on it. _That is highly __disturbing, _Minako eyed the yellowed book with repugnance, then with absolute horror when the pads of tapered fingers smoothed and unwrinkled a dog-ear…lovingly. _And __**that,**__ is total disturbia. _

Then there were the minutest of movements that only Minako noticed. Confusion made its way across her face and delicate eyebrows drew together in a slight frown. In an effort to understand what had befuddled her before, she started nibbling on her pink lips that looked…

"Positively succulent…" Minako whispered in her stupor, and then gave a start upon realizing she had said that out loud. With a quick scan of the carriage, she eased herself back into her seat once more, secured that no one had heard her. _Down girl, _she shook her head lightly. _No good will come out of this. _

Having quelled the less than innocent fantasies that were rampant just a moment ago, she remembered the crucial reason for looking at the girl in the first place. Both Minako and the girl wore similar seifukus. It wouldn't take a genius, in this case, Minako, to come to the conclusion that they were going to attend the same school. Inundated by a rush of excitement and the giddiness that came as a package, Minako's face was split by the largest dopey grin ever.

Then her view of her schoolmate was shielded when a standing man in a tweed coat lurched forward as the train rounded a turn. Minako frowned. He wasn't done moving however, and stumbled off towards a vacant seat nearby. She was in sight once again.

Settling down, Minako noticed that grubby old man to the right of that girl was teetering precariously towards her in all his slumbering glory.

The girl tilted her head to the right, noted her predicament, and shifted to her left, eyes focused back onto her book. With a snore that passed off as a phlegmy snort, the man slanted centimeters more towards the increasingly distressed girl.

Minako watched the scene play before her with morbid fascination, and wondered how much more the unyielding girl would take.

Finally reaching an angle in which she would either crush the rail-thin woman beside her or pull a back muscle from the exertion, the girl tapped the man's shoulder gingerly with a slender digit.

No reaction.

She cleared her throat loudly and jabbed.

The man twitched, gave a few grunts and righted himself, before leaning the other way towards a petrified granny. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, the girl regained her ramrod straight posture and began chewing on her lower lip, much to Minako's delight.

An unplanned chuckle escaped from Minako and she could almost visualize the other girl's ears perking up. _Ah crap, _Minako braced herself. The girl looked up sharply, right into her startled eyes.

Violet.

The largest, most striking almond-shaped, violet eyes Minako had ever seen locked gazes with her. Stifling a gasp, Minako broke eye contact and glanced down at her laptop case. Cautiously raising her eyes once more, she wasn't surprised to find that the girl hadn't looked away.

A delicate eyebrow was raised, as if amused. Curious violet orbs studied the blonde in front of her silently, amidst the rhythmic clatter of the subway. She wasn't examining Minako with the expected disdain or contempt. Rather, her eyes were inquiring, and gaze unwavering. She either had no clue of Minako's shock, or was plainly disregarding it entirely.

Withstanding the raven-haired girl's scrutiny with slight discomfort, Minako forged a sheepish smile. The girl blinked once, thick lashes fluttering, and was done. Attention shifted back to her alarmingly thick book.

_What in the most blistering nook of hell was that? _Minako chagrined.

_**That was you making a complete arse out of yourself, **_the teeny voice in her head cackled.

_I never asked you! But…what was with her looking at me like that? Those eyes…_

…_**are not looking at you anymore. Probably won't ever, seeing as how you've certified your relation to the common mule within seconds of her paying attention to you.**_

_Give me a break will you? It's not everyday I act like such an imbecile. _

_**You can only fool yourself for so long. If my memory serves me well, you had that incident yesterday involving a lizard and a bread toaster.**_

_Oh buzz off!_

Vexed, Minako failed to notice the halt the train came to. Her head snapped up when the perplexing girl closed her book with an audible slap and rose abruptly, and with a few strides of her fair legs, was out of the carriage.

_Ack!!_

Scrambling her way onto the subway platform with scant seconds to spare before the train doors slid shut, Minako spied the girl with her book tucked under one arm and laptop case gripped in the other, disappearing among throngs of commuters.

She trailed after her quarry at a comfortable distance, weaving in and out of crowds to catch up. The girl started ascending the flight of steps that led outdoors and Minako had to jog to keep pace. Once in full view of the girl's gradually diminishing form, she all but rammed into the butt of the staircase railing at the sight of her liberating her raven hair from her bun swiftly with a flick of her wrist.

Hair that was confined a moment before now tumbled down like a raven waterfall, cascaded past feminine shoulders and ended at the small of her back, swaying in a mid-autumn zephyr. She raked her hands through her mane to dislodge possible tangles, and with a final swish of her dark locks, seemed to dematerialize into a deluge of people at the arrival of another train.

Wheezing and swallowing thickly to offset the otherwise imminent upsurge of her breakfast, Minako continued to clutch her belly in agony, living with the unreserved stares of surrounding adults and students alike. Doubled over, she let loose a string of choice swears.

_Peachy. Just peachy. One would think the sky would rain fire and brimstone solely on me just for good measure. _

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Suddenly this first chappie looks puny. Ah well, I need to know if there are any amendments to be made to either a character's - well - character, or to anything that pokes you in the eye o.0 So, reviews! XP


	2. Chapter 1: Murphy's Law

**

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**

**Lenz's Law**

_by_

_LicketySplat_

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**Chapter 1: Murphy's Law**

Rei was late.

And so were about half of the new student population. The first phenomenon of its kind in all of Juuban Junior College's history.

Since the detention room would never fit all the tardy students for a duration long enough to be called detention – even if they were packed and piled on top of each other like the worst built human Uno Stacko – the discipline mistress dismissed them to their respective first classes, albeit reluctantly. Screeching about how the late-comers possessed an inconceivable shred of luck on an equally providential day, the shriveled up, ancient being promised the departing body of students a threefold punishment should they be late once more – First, for the detention they had scraped by. Second, for being late again. And third, just for the heck of it.

_All the more reason for me to catch the earlier train._

A quick glance at the time-table Rei pulled out from her skirt pocket told her that she had half an hour of English Literature left before an hour of free time. Her time-table was scheduled such that Monday was the least taxing day of the week. Other than that, the number of subjects and their relative difficulty of survival were more or less divided proportionately. Nodding her head in approval, Rei entered the classroom along with ten other students.

Rei took out her laptop from its case after slipping into one of the self-explanatory empty seats at the front and made sure her book was nestled safely underneath the desk.

To say that Rei loved reading books would be tantamount to eating only the frosted sugar on the icing of a multiple-layered cake. Books are the compilation of human thought processes and a demonstration of the gift of unbounded imagination, fused together by the seamless blend of language and individual style of writing. Books pass on knowledge, books widen one's perspectives in life, books create an alternate world for one to elude life's oppressions for a while. It doesn't take much to understand how to appreciate a book. It is appreciating the techniques however, in which an author uses to toy with one's emotions through the course of a story and in captivating a reader, which is more challenging and oftentimes taken for granted. There stemmed Rei's passion for books. And that, was also the reason for taking up English Literature.

Fingers poised and hovering expectantly over the keyboard, Rei sat alert and ready to take notes.

* * *

--

* * *

"How is it that I can't find a single quiet spot in this entire school?" Rei grumbled under her breath and continued wandering about corridors of the sprawling campus. "And you would think they would've given better directions in getting to the library since it _is _essential for students to do research."

"_Just head up the stairs and down the corridor, turn right, left, left, right and left again. Oh wait, or was it left then right? Maybe it's-"_

"_Hey, if you're not sure I can ask someone else," Rei tried to ease the uptight man._

"_No. I know the way! It's left, right, right-" _

"_It's fine, really." _

"_-and left again. Oh take another lef- "_

"_I'll be going now."_

The senior student she had amiably asked for directions to the library obviously hadn't been to it in eons. Either that or the poor moron had been deluding himself for the past eighteen years of his life that he knew his right from left. So she had set out up the stairs like he had said, leaving him behind in the middle of the walkway muttering to himself like a demented idiot. _"Left then right. No no! Right then left!..." _

Rei came to the conclusion that she was no where near the library when she realized that the stairs went up four floors, and at every floor landing, were a choice of three corridors, each one looking as eerily similar to the next. Abandoning all further effort into roving the halls for a seemingly non-existent library, she had stopped by her locker to rid herself of her bulky laptop for the remaining time of her free period.

The school had made it compulsory for students to have a laptop each when attending classes. Assignments and homework reached them by e-mail, and submission was done likewise to the respective teacher's address. _Something about Live Earth and the corruption of government officials in the Amazon area,_ if Rei remembered correctly. Textbooks however, still had to be bought and carried around. Personally, Rei didn't mind. _Touchable knowledge._

She hugged her book to her chest and leaned against her locker, mulling over the possible places peaceful enough to do some reading, and where there weren't any mentally defective people who would gawk at her like she was the more hairy version of Chewbacca. She nudged her spectacles to a better grip on her nose bridge and glared at the students who had taken to stare at her, and her book, with a mixture of awe and consternation. They would slow down upon passing, then stop and turn to goggle at spectacle before them.

Rei held back the superhuman urge to throttle every last one of them and then hide their bodies in a derelict mansion ready for demolition the next day. _It's only a book! Well, a really big book..._

Then remembering the school had a lake north-east of the main building, she turned on her heel and headed towards the congested canteen, stopping only to buy an apple and a bottle of chrysanthemum tea, and strode on towards her destination, book under her arm and mood considerably lighter.

The tennis courts outside were surrounded by a boisterous crowd watching an early tennis match. Rei strolled past the commotion, casting a withering glance at some blockhead jock who whistled at her, and proceeded to make her way towards the shimmering body of water some distance away.

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--

* * *

Concrete roughened into cobblestone and she took time to admire the variety of flowers and trees that lined the way to the lake.

There wasn't a person in sight when Rei had a good view of it.

Trees of Oak, Birch and Elm dotted the landscape, standing tall like guardians of a halcyon sanctuary. Most of them had started shedding their leaves in preparation for winter, framing the lake in haphazard patches of copper and flaming amber. Speckles of gold completed a fiery scene of autumn hues. It was a tranquil sight. One that whispered promises of uninterrupted reading pleasure. _Perfect. _

Twigs and dead leaves crunched under the soles of Rei's shoes as she hiked through the sparse undergrowth in search of a cozy hideaway. Finally deciding on the shade of a sturdy Elm, Rei settled down and tucked her legs under her, blissfully watching a leaf begin its descent when a breeze swept through the softwoods. She allowed a contented smile to form. Sunlight that filtered in through the branches above her shone at a satisfactory angle that gave her just the right amount of light for reading. Rei gently opened her book to its bookmarked page and continued where she left off, munching on her apple at the same time.

There were no distractions. Save for the occasional fallen leaf that would land squarely on the paragraph she would be reading. Frequent gusts of wind would mischievously tease her long bangs, sweeping them into her eyes, and she would once again swipe them aside in mild irritation.

"Here, use this," offered a mirthful voice from above her, followed by a shadow that blocked Rei's lighting.

Startled, she squinted up at the figure looming over her. Rays of light partially blinded her and made it difficult to make out the person's face. All she noticed was that the intruder's golden hair rivaled the brilliance of the sunlight streaming past her silhouette into Rei's eyes, and that there was an item on an outstretched palm.

_A hairclip, _Rei frowned.

"Thank you, but I won't need that," Rei politely declined, slightly bewildered at such a sudden interference.

"Just take it."

"No, really I'm not going to use th-"

"I insist."

"Seriously, it's fine-"

"Oh hogwash!"

With that, a hand darted out and gathered up rebellious bangs, and with a few twirls, her fringe was deftly clipped down on her crown before a word of outrage could even begin to form from Rei's parted lips.

" What…Hey! Don't-" sputtered an incensed Rei, flailing her arms about in a weak attempt to ward of the intruding action.

Having succeeded in relieving the raven-haired girl of her stubborn fringe, Rei's assailant stood with her hands on her hips, a wide grin in place. "There. All better now."

Offended at such a lack of respect for one's personal bubble, Rei readied herself to impart more than a piece of her mind onto the insolent girl before her. That was until she moved out of the sunlight to plump down beside Rei and finally permitted her a good look at the girl's face.

"It's you again," Rei deadpanned.

Delighted that she had made a big enough impression on the intriguing girl such that she remembered her, Minako felt she should introduce herself. "I'm Minako. Aino Minako."

"Hino Rei," came her gruff reply.

"That's a pretty name, for a pretty face. Now if not for that clip, nobody would be able to see that face of yours."

Then recalling that she had a little invader on her head, she reached up to take it off.

That move earned her a light slap on the wrist.

"Uh uh," sang her malapropos companion. "As long as I'm around, you may not take that off."

The nerve! What right had she to waltz into her personal boundary to order her about like that? Deciding that the girl wasn't worth a second more of her reading time, Rei purposed to get rid of her. "Go find someone else to bother, as you can see I'm busy."

Minako looked over her shoulder and around her as if actually heeding Rei's suggestion. Just when Rei thought her curt dismissal had worked, the girl turned back towards her with a wider, perkier smile. "There isn't anyone else here to bug! I'll just stick with you."

Minako eyed the bottle of untouched chrysanthemum tea standing on its lonesome beside an apple core and swiftly picked it up, taking a swig from it. Reaching the end of her tethers, Rei drew in a long, rugged breath and detached herself from her book to face the blonde.

"Is it too much to ask that you let me read in peace?" Rei barely controlled the desire to growl. She didn't like an accompanying presence. Solitude worked just fine. She glanced at the bottle in Minako's hand. "You want that? Take it and leave."

"Oh you can have it back. Please, do continue reading," Minako chirped.

"I read best, alone."

The directed request hurtled past Minako and vanished into the woods, ignored.

"I won't make a sound," she assured.

_Better than nothing_, Rei reasoned, and resumed her paragraph.

(_His words were aimed to get the better of me, but he could not outwit someone of my knowledge. I answered: "My ship was wrecked by Poseidon on the borders of your land. He drove the ship up to a headland and hurled it on the rocks. My friends and I managed to esca- )_

"What book are you reading?" inquired the curious blonde.

Rei's mind did the mental equivalent of a car screeching to a halt. Interrupted. Again.

"The Odyssey, by Homer."

Impervious to the hostile note that was evident in Rei's surly response, Minako prodded further. "What is it about? Let me see!"

Hoping that by conceding to let her read a bit, the irksome blonde would be appeased. Shifting her book a smidgen to the right, Rei showed her where she was currently at.

(_The cruel brute made no reply. Instead, he leapt up, and reaching out towards my men, seized a couple and dashed their brains against the floor as though they had been mere fish. Their brains flowed out onto the ground and soaked the earth. He ripped them limb by limb to make his meal, which he devoured like a wolf, leaving nothing, neither entrails nor flesh- )_

"Ewww! That's so gruesome! How could you read something so vile, and grisly and gross?" Minako exclaimed in abhorrence, scrunching up her face in undiluted disgust.

Rei shrugged. "It's not so bad once you get used to it. It's a work of art really." Then quickly added upon Minako blanching, "The book I mean. Not the descriptions of entrails and gore."

"Now I'm permanently scarred for life! Oh the woe of my broken soul!" Minako moaned in mock lament.

"Stop acting like you're so affected by it."

"But I am! I'll be having nightmares of life-sized intestines slithering after me for weeks straight and I won't be able to eat a proper meal of sashimi ever again!"

To this, Rei had to chuckle. "Oh come off it! It's your fault for wanting to read."

"How was I supposed to know that you have a fetish for all things bloody?"

"I most certainly do not! How shallow an inference is that?" Rei protested, defending her choice in books.

"Yes you do. How would you explain that then?" Minako gestured wildly at Rei's book. "That's enough testimony."

Rei figured that the only way to end this pointless debate on her type of reading material was to cease argument with the inexorable girl.

"Ah ha! I win!" Minako's cry of triumph echoed across the lake.

Maybe not.

Rei couldn't get much reading done. Most of her time spent was diverted towards fending off accusations and ridiculous claims that the opinionated blonde fired at her, and then shot off some of her own comments on how curiosity killed the cat. Or Minako's sleep in this case.

The blonde tossed her hair over a shoulder with a huff. "You're just in denial." Then deciding that a change in topic was much needed, she questioned "Why are you here anyway? It's so lonely."

"I couldn't find the library. It's much quieter here though. The scenery's beautiful as well." Rei surprised herself by answering the pressing blonde.

Minako's face brightened. "I know where the library is! I can show you after school. You up for it?"

_Can't hurt I guess. _"Yeah, sure."

Then realizing Minako hadn't disclosed her motive for being there, Rei asked "Why are _you _here?"

"I lost my way," Minako lied. She had caught sight of a flash of raven hair while cheering for both competitors at the tennis match and had been drawn by it, like a moth to...a bonfire. Inconspicuously trailing after her, she had waited for the opportune moment to reveal her presense.

Rei bought the fib and gave her an incredulous stare. "Blondes."

"Hey I resent that! Who's the shallow one now eh?" Minako folded her arms in indignation. "I demand justice!"

"Sure," Rei scoffed.

Dead leaves rustled and crackled as Minako shuffled around to find a more comfortable position against the tree's solid trunk. The momentary silence was broken once more by yet another question. "What subjects do you have after this?"

"Chemistry, Physics and Math"

"Hey we're in the same classes then! Can I sit next to you?"

"…"

"Yay! Are you good at those subjects?"

"…"

"Great! You'll help me when I have difficulties then won't you?

"I suppose so."

"Where is Chemistry being held?"

"In a classroom."

"You know you're supposed to look at the person whom you're talking to."

"Mmhmm."

"I'm big, fat, nincompoop who's picking my nose this instant."

"Mmhmm."

"Rei!"

"Shhh! I'm trying to read."

Minako moved her head to obstruct Rei's view of her book in an effort to redirect her attention. She came face to face with the same pair of violet eyes she had been already been introduced to earlier in the morning. Only this time, the sheer proximity to them rendered her immobile and the words she had wanted to say never found their way out. Her irises were a strong shade of violet, surrounded by rings of deep purple. They were piercing and guarded, as if able to read every thought of Minako's yet betraying none of her own.

There was a slight variation in her speech and Minako had to clear her throat to correct it. "Now that I've got your attention, shall we head off to class? It's five minutes before Chemistry commences."

Rei gave her an odd look, perturbed by the girl's rapid change in mood. She decided to disregard that, and with a slight nod of her head, she rose, brushing off a couple of leaves from her seifuku, and walked off towards the classroom block.

"Help me out here will you?"

She craned her neck and looked over her shoulder, espying the blonde having complications in rising to her feet.

"You can't stand now? Is there anything else you can't do? Besides taking a hint." Rei raised an eyebrow in amusement and moved not a single step to aid her.

Minako cursed the raven-haired girl and continued clutching the bark of the Elm tree for dear life. Finally propping herself up against the tree, she hollered "You just try getting pins and needles next time! See if I'll help!"

She wobbled towards the retreating girl, silently plotting her untimely demise. "Don't you smirk at me!"

Her only reply was Rei's taunting laughter.

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**Authors Notes:** Alright. First off, I've done some minor changes to the first chapter and to this one. Thank you to those who have pointed out my little blunder. Confusion rectified! Hopefully. I've only changed the education system to one I would be going through next year. Nothing beats first-hand experience. I was a tad ambitious in trying to write Japan's education system. But don't worry, I'm not going to do a Macbeth. I've changed Rei and Minako's ages as well.

I've been playing more computer games than writing. I'm guilty! Yes. I'll try to upload another chapter by Monday. Because on Tuesday, I'll be heading...drumroll...to Japan! I highly doubt I would have much time to write after coming back. What with losing the pounds I would've gained. It's easy to put them on but hard to shed yes?

Do let me know if I've left out some loopholes so I can snip them off. Sometimes I get carried away. Some constructive critism would be nice.

Plot wise, Rei and Minako will be having tons more interaction in the next chapter. Something to look forward to eh? Everybody loves Rei and Minako banter. Even more so when Rei has to deal with an evil, scissors-wielding Minako. Will she _ever _get to finish her book? Your call.

Now...To my dear reviewers:

deymian, 0xnaomix0, Volchise, LunarMiko07, mokit: Here, another chapter for all of you! I'll try to get the next one up by Monday. No promises though.

setyourselfonfire: Thanks. I couln't take the shortage of Rei/Minako fics so I started this. Not enough R/M goodness! I'm sure you'll agree with me.

secretedreamer: Thank you! I pride myself in the bits of humour that I fit in. Makes writing and reading that much more enjoyable. Then again you can't miss out on humour when you put our dear Rei and Minako together. XD

BewitchingAmEtHySt: Truthfully, I can't wait to see where my own fic is going as well. Haha. Sometimes a story writes itself. This one however, is being quite a bitch. Tsktsk. Nevertheless! Inspiration should be bountiful in Japan.

Lokiador: The prologue and epilogue of every story are probably the hardest to write. In my opinion anyway. I'm glad you think it's a good start. XP

Rikku's twin: Can't wait for your update as well. Poor Rei. Subjected to such pain! Relieve her of it soon will you? It pulls at my heartstrings. XD

Krampus: Krampus,Krampus. How shall I start? I have the feeling that you have taken or are taking Literature now. If you don't then I must admire your analytical skills. You have picked out the exact ways I've tried to portray Minako. I'm waiting on bated breath for your update of UFMIO! Been following it closely. One of my favourite fics on Rei and Minako. Love the banter.

Arisela: It's a relief that I didn't lose you in the course of the first chapter. So here you are! The second chapter.

trusuprise: I've been following A Single Voice. Very orginal. You update real quick! I must learn how you do it. Care to share your secret? Haha. Thank you for the praise to my descriptions and imagery!

chatterbox-hikaru13: Ah yes. I just _had _to make Minako lose her bearings. A little humiliation for our thick-skinned blonde. Nice to see you agree as well. XD

slashmel: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you feel the same way after this chappie!

lovec: Thanks for reviewing sweetie. What dating days? You mean we aren't dating right now? Haha. And thank you for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate it among so many other things about you.

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	3. Chapter 2: Fata Morgana

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Lenz's Law

_by_

_LicketySplat_

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**Chapter 2: Fata Morgana**

_She stood behind the reliable cover of an Oak, palms braced flat against the calloused and weathered trunk as she peeked past its wide girth, her presence veiled by a thicket of wild shrubs. The only sounds she made were the rustles of dried leaves under her shoes as she shuffled about for a better view. She knew though, that she could've created a ruckus out of the sheer paranoia of slugs thriving beneath the heap of leaves she was standing on, and the girl - the one that seemed to emanate waves of intrigue from the moment Minako had set eyes on her- would not have noticed her at all. An entire parade could march by, clashing and trumpeting for all it was worth, and the raven-haired beauty would pay them no heed, for her book had her sole and undivided attention. _

_There was something about her that seemed to beckon to Minako, something that she had never felt before. Admiration? Fascination? She wasn't able discern it from the unidentifiable mass of feelings that were present each time she looked at the girl. The aforementioned feelings were the culprit of her curiosity and the alien need to know the stranger better. It frightened Minako, and excited her all at once. The girl sat still with her back straight against the trunk she was leaning on, fully enraptured by the book before her. It was her fierce concentration and unconcealed passion for reading that struck Minako. __**Such strength**__, Minako thought and felt the first portion of the haze of feelings unravel as admiration. She tilted her head a little more to the right and watched the way the girl delicately flip a crusty page and smoothen it out. __**Yet so gentle. **_

_Then she felt it again. _

_The foreign feeling, a mixture of captivation and allure that left Minako prey to its spellbinding qualities as her eyes gladly took in the sight worthy of a painting that unfolded before her. _

_Swift breezes heralded their arrival by the orchestral rustle of blazing leaves and robbing countless of their hold on their mother boughs. They fell like a conflagrant shower, dancing and twirling mid air, reveling in the call of gravity and landing softly among a blanket of their brethren. A gust playfully lifted the ends of the girl's radiant raven tresses and blew them in flowing, gentle ripples. Another picked up some fallen leaves and whirled them in fiery eddies before whisking them off to a new resting place. _

_Minako couldn't help but stare in wonderment at how the dark-haired girl looked right at home amidst her flaming surroundings. As if she was one with it. _

_Then a stray leaf missed its goal and settled, instead, on a yellowed page of the volume the girl had opened on her lap. She blinked in surprise and proceeded to brush it off with the tips of her fingers, and then she gave a small pout when another leaf replaced the previous. One drifted by her face, grazing her nose, and she gave a start, jerking back slightly. Finally, a couple descended onto her head. Her eyes widened, as if coming to the realization that she was under siege by mere leaves. She shook her head vigorously, dark hair swishing in all directions with each jerk, and patted her hair down once the little invaders had retreated. _

_**That has got to be the most adorable thing ever**__, Minako mused as the corners of her mouth quirked upwards. Then immediately bonked her head repeatedly against the uneven bark of the Oak she concealed herself with upon concluding that her brain cells were committing a mass suicide just by looking at the girl. Either that or she desperately needed help._

_She decided to go with the latter when a yet another giggle escaped without her permission at the sight of the dark-haired girl exasperatingly swiping aside her long bangs over and over again._

_Then as if of their own volition, her feet started moving, pulling her away from the safe cover of the tree. Stepping round the shrubs and over an exposed root in her way she reached up to her head and unfastened a red hair clip that had held up some loose strands of her blonde hair. Lightly treading through the thickening layer of autumn leaves, Minako's heart rate sped up as she neared the mysterious girl. As expected, her presence had yet to be registered even though she was standing a scant metre away. Just when Minako thought black was black and that nothing could be blacker than black, she was sorely proven wrong. The girl was so close to Minako that she could see that her raven mane was an impossibly darker shade than the black seifukus they had on. _

_Substantially awed, Minako held her breath and stepped in front of her, practiced bravado in place to mask the nervousness that threatened to wreck their first meeting. _

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* * *

"Rei," Minako whispered when the teacher had moved away from them.

"What?" Rei hissed, irritated at the blonde who had yet to listen in class.

"What is a Red Ox reaction? How does an ox fit into a chemical equation?"

Rei stared at the blonde, baffled. Then realization dawned on her. She sighed.

"It's not a _Red Ox _reaction Minako. It's a Redox reaction. Short for a reduction and oxidation reaction. Ree-docks!" Rei said the last part slowly, unsure as to how much the blonde could actually comprehend. Enlightenment shone on her face and Minako quickly typed that little tidbit down into the blank, opened document on her laptop.

She was convinced that Chemistry made as much sense as why a flying particle would seek the nearest eye.

Why is the smallest possible particle an atom? How would one know for sure since an atom isn't even visible? Why are the noble gases called the noble gases? Surely they don't have qualities of high moral character or possess a hereditary rank in politics. If it means they are inert then why not call them the inert gases? Minako decided that not dwelling on such inane questions would benefit her state of mind.

She had spent the past half of the lesson slipping in and out of sleep. The fact that they were sitting right under the teacher's nose wasn't enough incentive for her to resist nodding off. Rei paid no attention to her, being too busy furiously typing away at her laptop's black keyboard, creating a cacophony of muted tapping. Minako groggily propped her chin onto a fist and stared ahead, gaze unfocused for a good reason. The moment she had looked up at the teacher once lesson had started, she vowed never to commit the same mistake again – She'd seen the Black Forest equivalent of his nostril hairs. The sight had seared her very eyeballs and barely stopped short of sending her into cardiac arrest.

Even if the teacher wasn't aware that he had a student dozing in front of him, Minako would never be able to fall asleep. Rei assured that. A swift nudge to the arm that propped up Minako's head was all it took. _Gosh, what have I set myself up for?_

Minako couldn't recall the last time she had sat in front, or if she had even done so before. The inky words the teacher had scrawled onto the whiteboard seemed too large and glaring for comfort, and her neck had begun cramping barely ten minutes into the lesson. She had clutched the side of her neck in agony while Rei sponged up any semblance of knowledge and deposited them as notes into her laptop with a fervor that only succeeded in amplifying Minako's misery.

She couldn't follow the lesson. As it were, she hadn't had much sleep the night before, throw in the fact that Chemistry was a subject she could barely grasp; Minako found no reason to fight sleep. Then again, with Rei glaring that way at her, maybe she should put up some resistance. She sat up groggily and stared at some semblance of the notes that she had taken down onto her opened document. She frowned at what she saw. Minako took a shot at deciphering the gibberish she had on her screen, then convinced that she had absolutely no idea what she had typed, she gave up.

They had ended up sitting right at the front, not because they had been late, but because the unrelenting dark-haired girl believed firmly that the ease of concentration was optimum here.

_Optimum my ass. _

She had been _this _close to approaching a meltdown, having been torn between being noticed minimally the rest of the year and sitting next to Rei. Minako's mind had been made up for her when two boys had trudged in and took the seats Minako had wanted, the ones to the side, second row from the back. She had then sat down beside Rei huffily and the girl had spared her none of her attention while setting up her laptop. Minako might as well have been an empty seat.

She turned to look at Rei and sighed. The stubborn girl had taken the hairclip off while Minako was dozing and her bangs had once again regained their original position. She had to admit though, that Rei's bangs suited her well. They fell softly over her eyes, partially obscuring her piercing violet orbs, giving Minako some protection against Rei's penetrating gaze. Yet at the same time, her dark hair seemed to serve her as a shield - one that obstructed all who endeavored to seek her thoughts and emotions. It piqued her interest and augmented her curiosity. A closer examination of Rei's strict profile, throw in the innate inclination of disregarding another's presence that she had, and Minako knew that getting to know Rei would be akin to scaling Mount Everest without oxygen tanks.

Something had told her that the traditional method of making friends would have been tossed aside like last week's trash by the girl whom she likened to a hunk of granite. Though Rei hadn't been too averse to Minako's overly inquisitive questions and attempts at striking up a conversation back at the lake, Minako had the inkling she'd probably ditch her at the first opportunity that presented itself. Well, the loner _had _tried to dispose of her with a bottle of chrysanthemum tea. Weak as it was, it was an attempt nonetheless.

_Perhaps traversing a mine field naked would be a better comparison, _Minako contemplated and held back another sigh, idly looking her laptop over.

Hers was painted a powder white gloss, and was smaller than most, made and bought for the sole purpose of doing work on. She took great care in ensuring that she left no smudgy fingerprints on its smooth, plastic surface. It was a gift from her parents. Parents Minako barely saw. They went for frequent business trips that lasted months at a time, the longest being the one that they were currently on.

_An entire year, _she thought grimly, then pushed the unpleasant thought aside. She never allowed herself more than a few seconds of brooding, steadfast in her belief in remaining optimistic. After all, of what good would it do if one spiraled down into the dark chasm of depression? She had learnt to adapt to changes, since change was as vital as the very air that kept her alive.

Minako shifted in her seat and yawned. The day was far from over and already she felt wasted. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her knuckles to try to clear the temptation of sleep. She couldn't afford to screw up any subjects as they were all crucial in her final percentage. Though she had no ambition whatsoever, she still desired to attend a good university. She had always gone where life had taken her and would do likewise for whatever further plans there was for her. _Come what may._

Unlike herself, her seating partner seemed the hardworking type. Minako had seen Rei working on another piece of document earlier on, consisting of twenty pages and she had thought it was a Macbeth essay. When Rei had sensed her unvoiced shock and aptly informed her that it was _"just some notes of the characters", _her mind had gone blank, unwilling to deal with the trauma that had come knocking with Rei's declaration. The notion of an uncompleted, twenty-paged analysis of Macbeth characters had sent Minako reeling into the cavernous depths of denial that such a monstrosity could exist on the first day of school.

Her laptop seemed shiny and brand new when contrasted with the amount of usage she had the feeling that Rei's had undergone already. She turned and let her eyes linger on the matt, wine-red laptop Rei's agile fingers were gracing, and her eyebrows knit together in a tiny frown.

There was something familiar in the way Rei's fingertips would come into a staccato-like contact with the keyboard before springing off to place pressure on another. Only her nimble digits took part in any motion. Her hands never wavered from the specific position she had held them hovering above the keys and her wrists never rested on the smooth finishing of the laptop. Fingers stretched, curled and reigned supreme over the ebony keys, darting, soaring, yet never strained. They were disciplined movements. Ones that would have demanded years of practice.

The dexterity of it all had Minako entranced.

She had never seen anyone _typing _with such grace and poise ever, and couldn't ascertain as to what exactly it reminded her of.

So enthralled was she that before long, Chemistry was over.

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"Ta daaa!!" Minako presented the colossal mahogany doors of the library with a flourish and a dramatic sweep of her arms. "The library!"

The blonde had led her a considerable distance and Rei had wondered briefly if she truly knew her way. The library turned out to be on the fourth floor, the top level of the classroom block. She would definitely not forget the route taken, having climbed seemingly unending flights of stairs to get to where she stood before the doors of the library.

"Thank you for showing me the way," Rei lowered her head a fraction in gratitude and the girl next to her beamed. She appreciated it that Minako had gone out of her way and placed aside time to direct Rei to the library she was almost convinced didn't exist, as irritating as she had been before. Her thanks seemed to have quite an effect, she noticed, for Minako's eyes had sparkled with the radiance of spring when she'd uttered the first two words. _I never noticed her eyes were cerulean. They are quite pretty . . ._

Rei kept her face devoid of any expression as she gave the mammoth doors a thorough inspection. She was impressed, though she hid it well. The rust-coloured wood gleamed in its lacquered state, newly varnished and unblemished, the skill behind the intricate designs exuded astounding craftsmanship. Carved along the grains in the wood were a myriad of swirls, each whorl convoluting with the next in trenches that barely skimmed its sheeny exterior. It had been installed, from top to bottom, into the wall before her and loomed over Rei as if daring her to pass them. Never one to be intimidated, she reached for its sizable brass handles, felt its metallic coolness under warm palms, and pushed.

Air rushed in from behind both girls, and Rei's ears picked up a tiny 'Eep' that the blonde beside her emitted on the sudden blast. Cradling her book in both arms, she took a bold step into the library's threshold.

And was incapable of restraining a gasp of unadulterated awe.

Where she had expected modest, dusty bookshelves stood grandiose shelves that seemed to overflow with the sheer abundance of books. Her eyes widened and lit with the spark of amazement. Rei granted the childish excitement so rarely felt, that begged for release, permission to rule her being. So it did. It tugged her on, pulled her further into the deep and welcoming aisles that seemed made just for her, and enveloped her with a fever of anticipation. She left Minako behind, still standing rooted to the parquet flooring in stupefaction, and resumed unearthing her newfound Cradle of Life.

The librarian's desk, where the borrowing of books took place, was situated in the centre of the circular anteroom they had entered and shelves lined the circumference of the room, brimming with recently purchased books. As Rei hurried through, it opened up into a labyrinth of shelves that was the main library. Large windows bid rays of sunlight entrance and gave ample illumination for her. So thrilled was she that she had wanted to skip along the towering shelves in an eager quest to discover every nook and cranny the library contained, but was content however, to just bask in the presence of its rich rewards. It was comforting to know that the school she was attending placed such emphasis on reading – the library's size said it all. A puzzling thing though, was how unoccupied the library was. Rei had passed by only a handful of students, three of which were heading off. _How could anyone not want to come here? Maybe they couldn't find the library just as I had, though a more logical explanation would be that there are no assignments to complete yet._

Rei made a mental map of the library, keeping in mind where the crucial shelves for research were, noting with satisfaction that all books were classified neatly in alphabetical order, with coloured code tags to place them apart. She was particularly fussy about the arrangement of books, having come across countless that had been transported from one end of a library to another due to the idiots who stuffed unneeded books where ever they deemed fit. She scowled, viciously wishing such people an infinitude of paper cuts.

Rei's journey ended when her excitement led her to beige plush armchair, large enough for two. Sunlight softly entered from a rectangular window beside it and the lake's placid waters were visible from the spot she stood, glittering in an expanse of sapphire. It was a wonderful view, she thought, and sat down without a second's hesitation.

That was where Minako found her, nestled in the embrace of an armchair, reading with a serene smile on her face. She acquiesced to let her be, conscience forbidding her to encroach upon so breathtaking a scene.

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"Misty!" Minako called out and instantly heard the rapid tapping of nails against marble floor as the puppy skittered round a corner in her haste to greet her owner. Chuckling, Minako shut the front door and bent down to intercept her dog before it leapt onto her.

"Have you been a good girl?" she cooed as she lifted the pup up into her arms, receiving no reply except for the excessive wagging of Misty's tail which soon became a blur of grey. Smiling at such an adorable action, Minako gently carried her into the kitchen and placed the hyper little thing down beside her empty food bowl. She hummed a random tune as she grabbed the packet of dog food from its perch at the top of the kitchen shelf, and poured a portion of its contents into the pink food bowl, subtly wondering how a mixture of bacon and chicken flavoured bits of dried food could influence such a messy response from the pooch. She winced at the prospect of having to wipe up the copious amount of drool Misty had released the moment she had tip-toed to reach for the food. Careful to step around all traces of liquid, Minako searched for the rag she usually had hanging next to the sink, and then clenched her teeth as she mopped up the saliva with much reluctance. She reasoned though, that she'd rather clean up drool than wield a deodorizer and a paper bag in a manner as if to purge her house of the undead like she had done so in the morning. Come to think of it, she could still smell the faint scent of poo wafting about.

"Don't you relieve yourself just outside my door again young lady," she admonished the pup which was still wolfing down her late lunch. Minako sat down on the tiled floor with a sigh when Misty paid her no mind. _Not you too…_she mourned inwardly, the image of a certain violet-eyed girl popping up unbidden in her head._ Lucky I didn't make a fool of myself. Probably would've only warranted me a withering glance. _She crossed her legs and leaned back against the kitchen wall, dotingly eyeing her very own salt-and-pepper schnauzer, and smiled when it bounded over to her after polishing off its food bowl. "That's more like it. Pay more attention to me," she tapped Misty's wet nose with a forefinger and yanked it back quickly when the pup tried to capture it with her baby jaws. Pouting, Minako gathered her dog into her arms and absentmindedly stroked Misty's furry head while thinking of how empty her home seemed. She had felt miserable the instant her parents had informed her of their business plans and didn't feel any better when they had tried explaining that it was imperative that they left as soon as possible.

"_They need us there," her dad persuaded his daughter who was sitting on her bed and fuming. "We have to go over to clear up some transactions and scout for strategic locations to set up some outlets. It may even be less than a year. We'll call as frequently as we can, I promise."_

"_But I barely get to spend time with both of you! You keep running off to wherever you think you're needed, and I understand, I do! You've always taught me to grab all opportunity the moment it springs up. But I can't help but feel . . . lonely . . . each time both of you leave," Minako ended softly, face downcast and moisture gathering in her eyes._

_She could see that her dad was struggling to find the proper words to say to her in light of his own heartache, and it comforted her somewhat, that she wasn't the only one feeling terrible about the situation. The mattress dipped slightly when her dad moved to sit down next to her, but she couldn't bear to look up, she was having trouble keeping her tears at bay. She felt bitterness seeping into her heart. Her happiness at her parent's return would always, without fail, be short-lived, for they would announce another departure as soon as Minako allowed herself to believe that she would have more time with them. Disappointment was far from a new feeling, having felt it too many times and too often. Her dad reached for her hand and as he held it, her floodgates could restrain the pressure no more._

"_Minako, you know that if we had a choice, we would much prefer to center our business around home. Things don't go our way all the time and . . ." her dad halted abruptly, as he took in the heartrending sight of his daughter's tears. She knew her dad, like most men, had problems dealing with a crying woman, and she was surprised when he pulled her into his arms. "I'm truly sorry Minako. We'll make it up to you. How about we get you a dog? You've always wanted one haven't you?" _

_At that offer, she screamed in delight and hugged him tighter, nodding her head vigorously in an answer to his very much obvious question. Her dad chuckled and patted her head and she had instantly felt embarrassed at such an outburst. She wouldn't let her dad have the satisfaction of saving a damsel in distress, so she poked at the hint of his beer belly. "Hmmm, getting fat now are we?" And rolled on the bed in laughter as her dad stuttered and defended himself miserably._

She gave a sad smile at that recount but lightened up when Misty licked her hand. "I would be so lonely at home without you, you know that?" Misty cocked her head at her owner's words, not understanding a single one.

"But," Minako rose to her feet, still carrying her schnauzer, and continued her monologue "You can't follow me to school. So I would be feeling lonely there." The blonde eventually burst out in laughter at the absurdity of it all. Here she was, talking to the puppy she had cradled in her arms. Walking into her room, she placed her dog down onto her bed and readied herself for a good, long bath.

"Who shall keep me occupied then?" She placed a forefinger on her chin and pretended to think, though she knew full well whom she had chosen to keep her entertained in school.

Retaining Rei's company would pose quite a problem though, she mused.

_Only one way to solve that._

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There. An update. Wow. Hopefully the next would be up quicker.

I trust all of you have had an eventful Christmas? Turkey and cranberry sauce...drools... And yes. I'm back! I had tons of fun. Plus, I've had sufficient inspiration in Japan to last me the next 10 chapters or so. I'm so happy:D

Before I forget. I hereby declare credit to for providing me with the very fitting expression of _"traversing a mine field naked"_! There. Happy now Cheshire? Go squeeze your phone ornament's

Many of you must be wondering, "What on earth is a dog doing in this fic?!", (Grins evilly) Muahahahaha. I have a purpose for dear Misty. All will be revealed in due time. Patience is a virtue my dear readers. (Dodges the keyboards that badbad readers throw)

Do let me know how I can improve. Reviews Reviews!

**Amiko-Gabriel, deymian, Ze: **Another chapter for all of you! I know my updates are pretty inconsistent. I'll try to write them faster. School is starting next week though, so my time might get quite screwed up. :(

**trusuprise: **Hm... Rei writing... that might be a good idea. I'll think about it. XP Yes I realised my previous chapter had less of a visual impact, that's why I made up for it in this one. I was thinking of saving the descriptions of facial expressions and body language for later when I make them interact more. This chapter is more of character development. Anyway, just out of curiosity, how long did you spend on ASV? Haha. I'm prepared to get shocked out of my mind by your answer. XD

**Nonori: **I really must thank you for pointing out such a fatal flaw! I've changed it. They're in Junior College. And people were surprised at Rei's book because of its size and how old it looks. You don't actually see a person lugging around a tome nowadays do you? I haven't. XD And don't worry, your critique wasn't harsh. It helped me tons!

**0xnaomix0: **Thank you! By the way, it's 'dashed'. 'Dashed' is like to strike something violently against another, while 'bashed' would be more of a severe beating. Yup. Hope that clears up some confusion that you might have. Do let me know if you liked this chapter as well :)

**Volchise: **I'm glad that you do. Really. Thank you for reviewing!

**LunarMiko07: **You gotta give it to Minako yeah? Such shamelessness! An aspect of her which I personally love as it irritates Rei to no end. Makes dialogue that much more enjoyable to write. I'm making an inference from your pen name that you've watched Kannazuki no Miko? XD

**Bewitching A m E t H y S t: **Haha. More bickering to come. What's a fic on Rei and Minako without the banter:)

**winter child: **No, Rei isn't immune to pins and needles just like how you and I aren't. I'd like to meet someone who has yet to experience the excruciating ticklishness of it. Rei just knows how to sit prettily and still avoid it. Lets go ask her how she does it shall we? XD


	4. Chapter 3: Vestiges

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**Lenz's Law**

_by_

_LicketySplat_

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**Chapter 3: Vestiges**

"_Reeeeiiii!!_"

Her eye gave an involuntary twitch at the unnatural lengthening of her single-syllabled name, though its extension wasn't what annoyed her the most. It was the gratingly, whiny pitch at which her name had been made to carry that unsettled her usually composed self and made it a necessity that she counted to ten before looking up at the very person who had brutally mutilated her simple name. The glare she threw at Minako would've been more than capable of punching holes through a concrete wall, but the frowning blonde before her remained unfazed. "When are you ever going to finish reading that thing?" she asked as she carefully stepped over an exposed root.

For one, Rei was thankful that her adventures with Ulysses was far from completed, as it gave her an even better reason to ignore the blonde who had unrelentingly pestered her for more than two weeks now. Wherever she went and whenever she thought she had successfully thrown Minako off her tail, the girl would pop up out of nowhere – like a deranged weasel! – to _force _Rei's attention away from her book with her unending whines and prodding questions. Come to think of it, the infuriating blonde just might have been the trigger for the migraine Rei had recently developed.

"Do you ever stop to ask yourself that maybe the reason why '_Reeeii_'has yet to finish her book, is because of your _incessant_ _blather_?" The amount of acid her words carried should have given any other person a bad case of rash. If it was possible, her words only seemed to harmlessly bounce off the blonde like wads of paper. Who knows? Maybe if Rei kept it up long enough, Minako might just drown in a torrent of paper balls. _If my sanity lasts that long that is._ She closed her eyes and massaged her temples with tips of her fingers, feeling her head start throbbing once more.

"Don't blame me if you read real slowly," Minako grinned and plopped down beside her, her sudden descent sending a couple of leaves up into the air.

_Unbelievable. _

Rei ceased her ministrations to her temples and let her eyes remain closed while she leaned her head back onto the sturdy Elm trunk behind her. That girl just wouldn't leave her alone. She took deep breaths to soothe the flame of anger that threatened to erupt from within her at such an absurd claim. What she would give just to wipe that unnerving smile off Minako's face!

"That's ridiculous. Leave me alone." Rei growled, a final warning to let her read in peace. And just like all previous warnings she had dished out, this one was no different in the way Minako brushed it off. At this rate, she would take another month to finish reading The Odyssey. Her progress had never been slower, with the interruption of _every _paragraph by a pointless question that should she choose to ignore, another would follow up closely laced with Minako's high-pitched whine. She could still hear her elongated name reverberating and ricocheting off the walls of her ears before making a pit stop at her ear drum with an almost resounding _'thwack'._

To a certain extent, Rei supposed that her current misery was brought upon her by herself. After all, she never failed to sit down under the shade of the same Elm at every class break. It was unquestionable then, how Minako could have found her every day even if they had different classes before that. _So why do I still sit here, inviting the physical manifestation of Evil? _Rei supposed it was because she loved the scenery here and that she had a limited number of days to spend her reading time out here as winter would be upon them in a few weeks. Although something else told her that wasn't even half of the truth as she had liked to believe.

Rei opened her right eye a crack and saw the blonde looking off in another direction. She then opened both eyes to glare at the back of Minako's head heatedly, willing those fine strands of blonde hair to spontaneously combust, and to torch that scarlet hair tie while at it. _Urg. Why can't she just leave me alone like any other normal human being? _Minako seemed to have felt the heat in Rei's stare and she whipped her head around in a flash . . . and the end of her ponytail smacked Rei's face in all its blonde might.

"Wha-?!" Rei gave a sharp start the moment her face got swathed in blonde tresses and wildly batted at them with her hands while sputtering and spitting out strands that had entered her mouth when she had opened it to exclaim in shock. The scent of Minako's fragrant shampoo invaded her nostrils as she blinked rapidly and swiped at her face as though the blonde hairs could transmit all degrees of idiocy - the last thing she needed was to begin exhibiting air-headed traits. Finally assuring herself that all traces of blonde hair had left her face, she turned to glower at Minako who was rolling on the ground and clutching her belly in laughter, tears trickling out of eyes that were squeezed shut in pure mirth. Rei's face grew warm at having been caught in such an awkward and embarrassing situation. The girl's _hair _had succeeded in startling Rei and reducing her into a flailing fool for crying out loud! One look at the bookworm's reddened face and the blonde burst out in a new wave of laughter, pounding her fist onto the leaves littering the soil.

"Sh-Shut up," Rei managed to stutter in a weak attempt to save what was left of her own pride, but the sight of a flustered Rei only fueled Minako's amusement as she broke out in hysterics. Rei harrumphed, snatched up a handful of leaves and hurled them feebly at the source of her shattered dignity.

"Hehehe . . ." Minako's giggles trailed off as she sat up and patted off some of the leaves Rei tossed at her. "Oh Rei, you're priceless!"

She looked at the sulking raven-haired girl and smiled as she shook her head lightly, thoroughly entertained. The blonde crawled back to Rei's side and tried to capture the attention of those stunning violet eyes which were currently smoking holes into a pile of dead leaves.

"What, those leaves more attractive than I am?"

Blood rushed to her face at the low purr that sounded beside her ear and she tried suppressing the heat, failing terribly.

She had scathing words all lined up in single file, eager to be deployed, but when she glanced up irately at the blonde hovering above her, they vanished. Her breath caught.

The other girl's sun kissed face was still flushed from the vigorous laughter that had wrecked her body an instant ago. But it wasn't the soft smile that was gracing her lips or the faint tinge of pink that lingered on her cheeks that made Rei halt the verbal barbs that she wanted so desperately to deliver. Oddly enough, it was her cerulean eyes, sparkling with unshed tears of mirth, that spoke volumes of how much she had enjoyed Rei's little blunder and of how genuinely delighted she was, that abated Rei's temper. Just a moment ago, she had wanted vehemently to grab the blonde by the scruff of her neck and haul her into the lake head first. But now she wasn't so sure.

Rei tore her eyes away from Minako quickly and the golden-haired girl settled on her belly on the flame-coloured ground, propped her head up on her interlaced fingers and stared up at her. _I wish she would stop doing that. What am I, an exhibit?_ Rei couldn't remember when the blonde had started that irritating habit, all she knew was that it perturbed her. She had swiftly filed Minako's fascination for her under the already bulky file of "Blonde Idiosyncrasies", and if things carried on the way they were going, she might need to get a new mental file. The blonde seemed to be scrutinizing her with those large blue eyes, trying to peer into her thoughts. If that was her intention, then she would be sorely disappointed, for Rei had never allowed anyone, not even Grandfather, access.

"Rei, can I ask you a question?"

"Mmph."

"Why do you like reading so much?"

Rei gave her a pointed look before sighing. When she moved to nudge her maroon spectacles, Minako was already there and gently pushed it up with the tips of her fore and middle fingers. Once done, she chuckled and lightly tapped Rei's nose. The girl went crossed-eyed and swatted at Minako's hand. Her throat felt more than a little tight when she answered the girl. "I don't know how to answer that. I've loved reading ever since I picked up one of . . . my mom's cookbooks when I was four." Hopefully the other girl hadn't noticed the tiny quiver in her voice.

"Seriously, a cookbook?"

Rei gave the blonde her trademark 'Withering' when an amused grin bloomed on Minako's face, before answering, "Yes." And as expected, the blonde burst out laughing again. Perhaps she should have lied.

"Ugh. I don't even know why I tell you these things knowing the outcome."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, really," sincerity rang pure and true in Minako's voice. Rei sighed. "And stop sighing. Breathing ventilates the air just fine you know."

Rei ignored her comment and gazed out at the gleaming lake. It was hard to believe that in a few weeks time, the endless span of blue, coruscating in the brilliant sunlight would be nothing but a flat plain of icy grey. Winter was monotonous and apathetically frigid, in Rei's opinion anyway.

"So, I hope I'm making a safe assumption here that since your love for reading started with _cookbooks_," Minako paused to smile at Rei's warning glare, "You cook rather well?"

"I . . . No, actually. I can't tell a frying pan from a soup pot and . . . - stop laughing!"

"Rei, you're hopeless! So what _do _you learn from them anyway?"

"I . . . don't know. The names of ingredients I suppose."

It was so strange how one moment Rei could be ready to maul Minako with her tome and the next chatting with her, though it was much less than cordial. It puzzled Rei to no end. How was it that around the blonde, her emotions kept fluctuating between the extremes and never stayed in one place long enough for her to decipher them? Maybe it was because the girl had no sense of one's personal boundaries at all. Throughout the previous weeks, Minako had played with her bangs, made Rei chase her after she had snatched her book away, and even stuck numerous hair clips all over her raven mane. What was more brain addling, was that she had barely put up any resistance to all that intrusion. Initially she threw violent objections, but lately . . . Rei sighed.

"What did I tell you about sighing? Hm?" Minako poked Rei's cheek with a slender finger. There, another encroachment on her privacy.

"Stop that!" Rei snapped. If anything, her unwanted companion took her hostility as an encouragement and proceeded to lay a few more pokes in rapid succession on her cheek. Rei scowled and aimed spears at the chortling blonde with a prickly glare.

"Do you like books?" she found herself asking Minako in passing.

"Oh yes!" the other girl replied her energetically even before she had finished uttering the last word of her question. Minako's eyes twinkled in mischief. "I like books. You just have to teach me how to get past the introduction."

Rei stared at Minako in disbelief as the latter jumped to her feet right after finishing her sentence, gave her a dazzling smile and skipped off. _That girl would prove quite a handful, _Rei thought as she watched the other girl run down toward the leveled plot of land a few metres from the water's edge, hair glistening in waves of gold as rays of sunlight kissed her honey locks. There she spread out her arms and spun in slow, lazy circles amidst the falling leaves that the wind had delivered, gleefully tilting her face toward the heavens as she indulged in nature's beauty. Her book long forgotten, Rei saw Minako flop onto the lush blades of grass as dizziness from her twirling swept over her. She heard a faint _"Whee!" _as the blonde lay still in a sea of emerald while fiery leaves rained down on her, and wasn't surprised when she turned on her side to give Rei a lopsided grin.

_How could anyone be so carefree_? Rei wondered, and shocked every fiber of her being when she returned the blonde an equally wry smile.

* * *

**--**

* * *

Minako sat on the high wooden stool and fidgeted anxiously, her eyes darting back and forth between menacing tubes of glass and bottles of nauseatingly coloured liquids. A flame was shooting up steadily to her left in a vertical line of luminous blue and its wavering heat did nothing to ease her hysteria. She was hyperventilating, her hands were clammy. Her breathing quickened, perspiration beaded the sides of her face and tendrils of fear snaked around her and smothered all sense and security while she grappled to cling onto the last few traces of sanity. This was too much to bear. Her vision began to blur as her brain became deprived of blessed oxygen. For all she knew, she might not make it through this day alive. She could see St. Peter and the pearly gates of heaven.

This was it. Her sad, premature end. Her early passing. Her untimely de-…

"Oi, Minako. You might want to grab a pair of those safety goggles at the front of the lab after you're done swooning over the chemicals, as fascinating as they are," Rei's impassive contralto jolted her out of her daze. "And for goodness sakes, switch off your gas tap you idiot!" The dark-haired girl spared Minako a look of disdain before deftly plucking her lighter out from the drawer to light her Bunsen burner. It lit with a whoosh.

"Eh?" she looked around blurrily and located the knob of her gas tap which she had accidentally bumped against previously. The flame was extinguished immediately and oxygen suddenly wasn't an issue any longer. Relieved, she then shuffled to the front of the Chemistry lab to pick up a pair of yellow thick-rimmed goggles and resumed her apprehensive stance upon returning to her seat. She would much rather sit in an utterly dry lesson of Chemistry than to be here carrying out experiments next to an open flame. Granted she could cook rather well, but if given the chance, she would choose throwing frozen pizzas into the oven over frying onions any day. Further more, she just didn't trust herself around chemicals, especially acids. Though she knew they couldn't possibly corrode her flesh, being weak acids, she still wanted to avoid them at all costs. Something about the word 'acid' just puts her off. To put it simply, she was utterly terrified of lab sessions.

Minako put on the oversized goggles and peered through their scratched plastic lenses at Rei who had so grouchily agreed to be her lab partner. The bookworm had already started her experiment, swiftly pouring measured volumes of chemicals into a lone test tube and successfully turning its contents a clear blue. Minako sighed a hopeless sigh. Now she wished she had paid attention in yesterday's class. She had tried her very best in going with the flow of the Chemistry river but had crashed abysmally into the Rei outcrop. The stand-offish girl intrigued her, distracted her to no bounds! Every graceful movement she had made seemed to ensnare Minako in all their elegance, virtually rendering her Chemistry struggles useless. _What is this feeling??_

Minako sighed once more.

"Breathing ventilates the air just fine you know," Rei drawled sarcastically.

"I know. I'm just speeding up the process," Minako bit back. The raven-haired girl had only recently brought her counterattacks up a notch, retaliating with an equal fervor. What was that Physics Law? An object that you push, might come and push you back? Something like that. Well, it held fast to its truth in Rei's case. She sure was shoving back with all her might.

"By the way," Rei carried on without a beat, derision literally dripping from every word uttered, "in order to proceed with an experiment, you'll need to first pick up a test tube, pour some chemicals in, and observe. Go on, try it!"

Oh how she wanted to squirt distilled water in Rei's face! Her really pretty face. Beautiful actually… _Ok Aino. Stop it. The sodium hydroxide's calling your name._ With that, she gingerly picked up the bottle of clear liquid and tilted its mouth toward the test tube she held in her other hand. Suddenly her grip on the bottle slipped a little, and the strong alkali sloshed all over her hand, not a single drop entering the test tube. _Shit. It's soapy! It's SOAPY! _She quickly placed the bottle down with a loud bang on the bench top and hurried to the sink. Mid-step, the test tube slid out of her slick hand. Her eyes widened and time seemed to slow in motion as she watched it become airborne, flipping a couple of times . . . only to crash land in the sink with a sickening crunch. _Damn. _

"_Please_ be careful, Ms Aino," the teacher stressed from somewhere in the laboratory, "You'll need to pay for that later."

A soft chuckle to her right told her that Rei had enjoyed her little slip-up. Scowling, Minako washed off the soapy residue of the solution from her hands and flicked a wrist in Rei's general direction, smirking in triumph as cold droplets of water hit their intended target, eliciting a cry of outrage from the ebony-haired girl. "That's such a low blow!"

Minako gave a casual shrug, selected a new test tube from her rack of six, and was about to shoot off a wisecrack till she realized Rei had done her hair up in a loose bun again, just like how she had when they first met on the train. She watched as Rei's elegantly tapered fingers manipulated two test tubes at a time, swirling the contents of one gently while pouring the murky brown mixture of another into a beaker, her eyes focused unwaveringly on the task she was undertaking. In Minako's opinion, mixing chemicals shouldn't look so . . . _arousing. _Dazed, she let her gaze wander up and down Rei's slim side profile, from her shapely calves to her flat abdomen to the gentle swells of her br-

"Honestly Minako, haven't you memorized every physical aspect of me by now? You've been _staring _at me every second for the past week and a half and I'll be damned if you don't know what cup size I wear," Rei said dryly, canting her head to the side to fix her piercing gaze onto the blonde a couple of metres away from her. Minako hadn't noticed till then that her mouth had been hanging open while she was ogling the girl and she shut it with an audible click, flashing a megawatt smile to cover up her embarrassment. "Well I do need a closer look . . ." she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Rei rolled her eyes and turned back to her work.

As much as Minako would like to attribute her fascination to the 'unexplored territory' syndrome, try as she might, it wasn't remotely possible to ignore the fact that Rei was simply gorgeous. _Or maybe I just have no sense of danger whatsoever. _There was something about Rei's mannerisms and the air in which she carried herself that just screamed come-hither-and-I-shall inflict-a-motherload-of-agony-on-your-otherwise-meaningless-existence, to which Minako had thrown all caution to the wind. She knew very well that she had been pushing her limits. But what baffled her was that she knew equally well that Rei was more than aware of the escalation in insensitivity of her proddings, yet never truly expressed any form of animosity like how others would. Annoyance yes, but never animosity. She should watch her step nonetheless. She was treading on thin ice, one wrong move or word could send her plunging into a sub-zero abyss of self-condemnation. After all, she had seen how Rei decimated a poor chap's pride within seconds of him courageously approaching the perimeter of her smoldering aura to meekly ask for her number. He'd scuttled away, tail between his legs. Why Rei still allowed her to even walk by her shadow was beyond Minako.

_Just like how Chemistry is beyond me._

She took a furtive glance at her lab partner, hoping to pick up hints on how else to proceed. Mimicking Rei's movements, she cautiously turned the gas tap, bit by bit till she clearly heard a firm hissing originating from the mouth of her Bunsen burner. Squeezing her eyes shut in trepidation, she positioned the snout of her lighter above the burner, and gingerly pulled the trigger. _Click. _Nothing. She looked at the lighter in confusion. _Clickclickclickclick WHOOSH!_

"Eeek!" Minako shrieked and leapt backwards, plastering herself against the bench behind. She eyed the dancing flame like how a field mouse would a circling hawk.

With a disapproving sigh, Rei gracefully reached over and reduced the gas input.

"My hero," Minako fluttered her eyelashes as she adopted a cringe worthy bimbotic tone.

Rei scowled. "Spare me blondie."

Minako gave a hearty laugh and teasingly smacked Rei's arm. "You're so easy to make fun of, Rei."

She smiled softly to herself when the other girl just huffed in displeasure. _Just like a kid who can't get their way._ It was adorable really. To Minako at least. She barely resisted the urge to playfully tweak the other girl's fair cheeks, changing the course of her hand at the last moment to rest on the worksheet the teacher had given out earlier. Her eyes flickered to the lighted burner and then back to the instructions in the worksheet.

_Step 3__: Pour a small portion of solution A into another test tube. Heat strongly. You should test any gas evolved._

"Shouldn't be too hard," Minako muttered under her breath and gently tipped some of the solution into her test tube. Carefully gripping the holder, she positioned the test tube above the flame and braced herself. When nothing phenomenal happened, she relaxed.

_Hmm…heat strongly…I'll give it another minute or so, _Minako decided, noticing that the contents in her test tube were still a light brown in comparison to Rei's black. She watched as Rei swiftly balanced twin strips of coloured paper on the mouth of her test tube and nodding lightly at her results.

Litmus strips. Yes, she would need to use them.

So intent on observing Rei was she that she failed to notice the vigorous bubbling occurring within her test tube, and by the time she did, it was too late. The tube trembled with the force of the bubbling and sent vibrations up her hand. Liquid churned and seethed about in its glass confines, begging for an escape from its boiling state and finally spurted out.

"What the-!" Rei almost screamed when something splashed mere centimeters from her hand, sizzling menacingly against the cool table top, "_Minako!_"

"Oh shit! I'm sorry Rei!"

She pointed a shaking finger at the steaming pool of liquid. "That could've been my hand! My _hand_! What the _hell_ were you doing?!"

"Erm . . . heating it strongly?" she squeaked lamely at the sight of Rei's blazing violet eyes. Her accusatory glare almost incinerated Minako inside out, and she decided that an angry Rei was by far the scariest living soul she had ever crossed paths with. She wanted to dart behind the safety of her lab bench, but even so, she had the inkling that it would be but a flimsy barrier separating her from the infuriated girl. Surely the bench would liquefy under the intensity of her blistering stare.

"Please settle your domestic affairs outside of the lab if you will, ladies. Time's ticking," the teacher intoned disinterestedly while passing by them. Reluctantly, Rei resumed her experiment, but not before throwing Minako a scalding look that promised her nothing short of the merciless fires of hell.

Hastily - while reminding herself that she had a scant five minutes left - Minako reached for the strips of litmus papers next to the sink and inserted them into the mouth of the test tube. _Oh crap. It fell in! _She shook the tube violently with her grip on the holder and stuck a finger inside in a desperate attempt to rescue the fast drowning strip. It was a terrible mistake and she paid the price. Hissing in pain as Minako's skin touched the hot glass, she jerked her hand back instantly and she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying out. The tip of her index finger turned an angry red and had started swelling.

_Note to self: Hot glass looks exactly like cold glass. _

She was such a failure. How on earth was she supposed to test for anything now? The strip bopping up and down in the glass tube forlornly only seemed to mock her. _Urg. I'm so stupid! _

This was ridiculous. What now? _Come on. Think think think!! _

Smell. That was it! She'd seen Rei holding her test tube a good distance from her face and fanning the air above it toward her nose. She imitated the other girl, eagerly sweeping the air back and forth, and frowned when her nose detected nothing. This was highly unusual. Determined for her test to yield results, she brought the glass tube right under her nose and inhaled deeply . . .

Her respiratory tract seemed to erupt in a blazing trial of fire as the offensive gas made its way into her lungs. Her nose burned with the ferocious onslaught of the stench as electric blue stars exploded in a sick blend of chaos behind her eyes. Her vision swam madly as she lost control of her fingers, letting the tube fall to the table with a clatter, and there was only one word was that registered in her fogged up head before she willingly surrendered to the darkness: _Ammonia._

* * *

--

* * *

She awoke to a stiff mattress and a royal headache. It was as though a herd of elephants were tap dancing in the tiny confines of her skull, stampeding and pounding like there was no tomorrow. She felt it could easily register an eight on the Richter scale. Her eyelids felt leaden and it was exhausting work to try to force them open. When she breathed in, it felt as though her nostrils had been coated with a stinking layer of muck that made her head swim once again. She wanted to rip her nose off her face, shove it into a tightly sealed capsule and blast it off into space. It was _that _disgusting.

Through the thick veil of haze in her sub-consciousness state, she vaguely made out a truncated conversation, and a dulcet voice that sounded more than exasperated.

"_. . . can't go home on her own."_

"_She's a strong girl . . ."_

"_Miss Hino, will your conscience sit well . . . something happened to her?"_

"_Oh it would sit very well . . ."_

"_What was that?"_

"_Er . . . it would give me hell."_

"_. . . trust that you will accompany her home . . ."_

"_. . . really, nurse. I have full faith in Minako's capabilities . . . make it home in one piece."_

Minako groaned in agony as bright light filtered in through the slits of her eyelids that she had managed to open.

"_Ah . . . awake . . . I'll go ask her what she wants."_

"_It's really not necessary . . . I'm gonna . . . go."_

"How are you feeling dear?" a gentle voice asked her, motherly. Minako scrunched up her face in pain as she struggled to open her eyes all the way. With the aid of strong arms, she managed to sit up.

"Rei . . .?" she inquired weakly. Her hopeful tone didn't go unnoticed by the occupants in the room.

A warm chuckle greeted her.

"No dear. It's Nurse Rika," the middle-aged woman warmly introduced herself, her round face bore a comforting smile. "But if you want Rei, she's sitting down back there and – _Miss Hino! What are you doing with the door?!" _

Her ears ringing with the sudden shout, Minako heard a faint curse as a door grudgingly slid closed and footfalls growing louder as someone despondently padded to her side. Through her blurry vision, she saw violet eyes. A set of extremely annoyed violet eyes set in elegant features that were framed in curtains of black. Her heart skipped a beat.

"See nurse? She looks perfectly fine to me. A little doped but fine," Rei diagnosed grumpily and hastily whirled around to head for the door.

"Not so fast young lady," Nurse Rika warned and the retreating girl halted in her steps.

The plump nurse then faced Minako, her stern expression softening. "Are you able to walk home on your own Miss Aino?"

She could practically see Rei waiting on bated breath for her reply, looking as though the blonde's very answer could either sentence her to a tormented march to the gallows or to blissful freedom. It was plain as day that Rei couldn't wait to be rid of Minako and she told herself that it was a good sign – she was beginning to have an even bigger effect on the girl. She began calculating and working out the consequences of whatever answer she could possibly give, swiftly coming to a decision. It was funny how her brain wouldn't cooperate with her during math, but would gladly do so now. At long last, drama class in Primary school would serve her well. _To the gallows it is my dear Rei._

"I-I . . . Oooh my head . . . !" Minako placed the back of a hand against her forehead and started swaying dizzily, reaching out blindly with her other hand as if struggling to remain above overwhelming waters. She heard a gasp from Nurse Rika as her motherly arms quickly wrapped around her to keep her from toppling off the bed. _She's buying it. Hehe._

But the most important question was whether Rei did.

"Miss Hino! Help me keep her upright while I get the wash cloth!" the nurse said urgently.

"Why don't you prop her up against the headboard-"

"Just hold her!"

With her eyes still closed in feigned agony, she felt the sturdy arms of the nurse unwind from her and were quickly replaced with ones that were slim, yet firm. _Rei's arms . . . _She truly felt dizzy now. Among the unforeseen circumstances that she might have encountered upon faking her wooziness, the chances of this occurring was probably slim to none, and the fact that it was indeed happening, almost made her pass out again.

She nervously opened her eyes a crack and saw the raven-haired girl scowling to herself while deliberately looking off at the wall to her right, as if fiercely denying that she was indeed holding the blonde. The hold she had around Minako was loose, flaccid, keeping the blonde away from bodily contact in as much distance as her arms would allow, which obviously resulted in their positioning being awkward, with Minako's upper body weighing on Rei's stiffly outstretched arms, creating an unstable equilibrium. Minako could _feel _the bookworm's lithe arms start to tremble as they strained to keep her upright, and at the same time, to prevent their owner from falling flat onto the blonde. _Which would be disastrous_, Minako reminded herself firmly, heavily beating down the urge to pull Rei on top of her. _I'm supposed to be fervently wishing that her arms hold up. Yes, that's right. _

Then realizing that she was a little too stiff for someone who was light-headed, she instantly relaxed, faking a groan of pain as her head began to loll back, unsupported. As expected, the arm that was reinforcing the gradually weakening one around her upper back quickly darted out, over and around, to catch Minako's head just before it reached its nadir, just in time to prevent further injury that would've been caused by a neck sprain. Of course, Minako was ready to halt her head's descent in case she had to, but the other girl's hand was already under it, hesitatingly cupping its base. Slender fingers tangled themselves unintentionally among her blonde tresses as Rei held Minako's head up, and she had to swallow a sigh of contentment that rose in her throat. It wasn't long before she realized that the ebondy-haired girl's arms were shaking more violently and in order for her head to remain safely cradled in the other girl's hand, Rei had to move in closer.

Minako held her breath as the other girl tentatively inched nearer, her body warmth washing over the blonde and blanketing all rational thoughts.

Rei cleared her throat in what Minako thought was embarrassment. She opened her eyes weakly, reminding herself to keep them unfocused for at least a few seconds so that her dizzy spell would seem genuine.

Her heart skipped a beat.

A faint dusting of pink coloured Rei's fair cheeks delicately, betraying the embarrassment that she so ardently tried to conceal with an expression of indifference. The girl's full lips twitched in one corner, clearly portraying her uneasiness. It was . . . endearing. She doubted that she would see another blush like that from the bookworm any time soon, so she strove to imprint it in her mind.

Minako's eyes flickered to Rei's violet ones which were burning with a simmering intensity as the arms around her tensed. Before she could ponder on the flashes of lightning emotions that streaked across fields of violet, there was a sudden transition in those deep eyes as they blinked vacant and Rei's mind took off into her own mysterious dimension. Why was the other girl showing such strong emotions just holding her? What was she thinking of? Perhaps it had to do with the immense pride only Minako's astute observations picked up. She'd concluded, after analyzing the other girl's mannerisms from the instant she held Minako in her arms, that it wasn't the kind of pride that led to one's fall. Rather, it was the kind that was painstakingly built, when under pressure by oneself, or by external sources, to become or remain independent - the kind so commonly seen in successful people who had spent their childhood in the incarcerating cages of society's ills, like poverty or disharmony and discords of all possible fashions.

_A survivor's pride._

What had Rei been through? And was holding someone a hurt to one's pride? She supposed that it was, to some extent, but surely it couldn't affect Rei this much. There must be something else. Something that Rei probably wouldn't tell her, ever.

Curiosity, blended with a dash of uncertainty, crashed around within her. She wanted to know Rei. Yet, the level of damage she saw in those violet gems seemed to be warning her against taking another step into the unknown. She didn't know if it was possible, but the bottomless depth to Rei just got deeper with the sight of indiscernible emotions she saw swimming within her eyes. They were so . . . _raw. _She knew though, that they wouldn't be exposed for all to see if the dark-haired girl had known she was being watched by the supposedly unwell blonde. Which came the question: How much of the _real _Rei had she been introduced to? She recalled that there was a slight inflection in Rei's voice when she had been talking about cookbooks back at the lake. Well, she knew it wasn't the cookbooks per se, but the mention her mother that had caused it. Minako was attentive that way. And the fact that Rei had tried to mask the quiver in her voice told Minako plenty of how the topic of her mother wasn't opened for discussion. There were innumerable questions that Minako wanted to be answered, yet, how was she to go about it?

_How far should I tread? I . . . don't want to risk our . . . friendship. If that's what you could call it. I don't even know what kind of relationship we have now. It's impersonally cold one moment, genially lukewarm in another, then provokingly scalding the next. As though we're strangers, friends and enemies all at once. Things like that shouldn't be possible right? It's nonsensical!_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the light scratching of fingers against her scalp as Rei shifted to whip her head around impatiently to look over her shoulder, presumably to search for the nurse who was taking longer than usual to get a washcloth. As Rei turned, strands of her glorious raven hair fell onto Minako's face, coming to rest on her cheeks, nose, and forehead like silken threads, caressing her skin. Just as Minako was reveling in the sheer softness of it all, her nose picked up a peculiar smell which immediately snapped her out of her reverie. It was fragrant and weighty, sharp and sweet. It smelled familiar, but she couldn't place a finger on what it was exactly. She was sure it wasn't a type of perfume or shampoo as it carried a particular quality to it. It just wasn't . . . marketable. It was too exotic. She'd caught a whiff of this same scent just last week. It was strongest on Monday, and by Wednesday, it had faded. Today being a Monday, meant it was more than noticeable. Her observation had instantly ruled out any sort of bathroom product, unless Rei washed her hair only on Mondays and not on any other day after, which was impossible because then, her hair wouldn't be able to maintain its luster and health. _Plus, Rei smells nice every day._ _Alright, I'm starting to get biased. Very bad. _

Then, as if deciding for her that this was all the swooning for one day, a single strand of Rei's hair began tickling her nose.

It itched. She tried holding it back in but failed.

Her loud and unglamorous sneeze rocked her body and brought the bookworm's attention back to Minako in less than a heartbeat. Mortified, Minako stared innocently up Rei.

"Your hair tickled me," she explained quickly at the amused look on the ebony-haired girl's face.

Rei emitted a bark of laughter. "And I suppose they'll start slithering about my head, hissing and gnashing their venomous fangs while they turn you into stone with their red, beady eyes?"

"Don't feel so full of yourself, Medusa. You might wake up tomorrow looking like Homer Simpson, I can assure you," Minako shot back, though inwardly she chuckled as she knew very well that she would rather inhale another tube of ammonia than damage a single strand of hair from Rei's beautiful mane.

When Rei gave her a confused look, it was her turn to laugh. "It's pop culture reference, you hermit! Don't you ever watch television?"

"And waste my time with that stupid box while I could be reading a book?"

"Nerd."

"Name calling now eh Barbie?"

"Why yes, Ken!"

"I bear absolutely no resemblance to him."

"I'm sorry, you're right. Now that I have a closer look, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have C cups . . . Oooh, scary glare. Does that mean I'm right?"

"St-stop staring you pervert!"

"Well, you're not denying, so I suppose I've hit the mark- Hey hey, don't hide them! Millions of women would kill to be able to flaunt those!"

"And I know millions more who would aid me in the hiding of your paltry body. I have yet to get back at you for the near death experience back at the lab."

"Tsk tsk. Such violence. Do you need a therapist?"

Rei's eyes narrowed dangerously at the aggravating blonde. "You know, I could just remove my arms now and you'll float away by the weightlessness of your head alone."

"Then I'll just hold on to you," she said softly, then gave a visible start at realizing what had poured out of her mouth, unbidden. The crystal sincerity in her lowered voice stunned both herself and the girl holding her, bringing their childish banter to an abrupt close. She released a nervous giggle in an attempt to defuse the awkward atmosphere that she had created, hoping that Rei would take it as a joke. The other girl's mouth opened and closed, trying to form words but not quite succeeding, as if she was having an inner turmoil whether to perceive Minako's line as one of jest or not.

Footsteps against the infirmary's floor sounded behind both of them. "Sorry I took so long ladies. Couldn't remember where I put it."

Rei extricated herself from the blonde quickly and stood aside while Nurse Rika moved in to place the wet washcloth on Minako's forehead and gently laid her down on the bed. She felt a chill hit her skin when Rei moved away, and she found herself yearning for that contact once again, even if it was for another second. The mattress she lay on felt like concrete in comparison to Rei's arms, as stiff as they had been.

Still berating herself for so pathetic a slip-up, she watched as the bookworm hurriedly went to lean her back against a wall and fold her arms broodingly.

"Have a good night's rest tonight dear, you'll feel all better tomorrow. Oh, and you might experience more dizzy spells now and then. Which reminds me . . ." Nurse Rika craned her neck to look levelly at the obstinate bookworm and met her defiant look with one of utmost authority. "You _will _walk Miss Aino home."

To Minako's evident surprise and delight, Rei visibly deflated**.**

**

* * *

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--

* * *

Rei huffed and puffed her way up the stairs to the walkway leading to the train station. She grumbled under her breath as she lugged two laptop cases and her hefty book up the first flight of steps, while convincing herself that the next five flights would be over in a blink of an eye. Before this, she'd never realized how cumbersome her book was, and regretted not leaving it behind in her locker back at school. Her skin started tingling at the first layer of perspiration that had begun forming and her legs had started protesting against such abuse. So where was Minako all this time while she was suffering?

She was at the top.

That blasted blonde had moaned and groaned about how her head still hurt and how she felt too weak to walk, let alone carry her laptop case. And Rei, seeing the other girl teetering and tottering on her unsteady feet, had so kindly agreed to help her carry it. To say that Minako's grin after handing it over would do the Cheshire cat proud, would be a sorry understatement.

The scheming ingrate had swiftly fastened Rei's bangs to her head with another of her seemingly endless red hairclips, spun around, and with a flash of her scarlet ribbon, skipped up all six flights of stairs, laughter petering off the further she went. Had her hands not been occupied then, she would've smacked the golden-haired minx upside her head without hesitation.

She should have known! Now, her lungs were burning and her legs had started rejecting any more torture by slowing down. The animatedly cheering blonde at the top of all six flights of stairs did nothing to ease her tiring muscles, and the growing storm clouds assembling themselves above her head were charging up to deliver the deadliest lightning ever. She briefly weighed between the prime choices of rare and medium-rare.

"Give me an 'R', _'R'!_ Give me an 'E', _'E'! _Give me an 'I', _'I'! _What does it speeeeelll?? Rei! I can't hear you . . . _Rei!_ One more time! _REI!!"_

_I'm definitely going for rare._

She clenched her teeth in a furious effort to ignore the burning sensation that was wrapping her legs. The agony of it all. She really had to give it to those Aztecs and their temples.

"North, South, East and West! Rei, Rei, is the best! North, South, East and West! Rei, Rei, is the best!"

That. Was. It. When, and if, she made it to the top, she was going to wring Minako's neck with her bare hands till she turned blue. _Wait, why stop there? Purple's a lovely colour._

Halfway up the third flight of steps, the blonde began to add more flavour to her cheers, waving and jumping about wildly like some rabid primate on crack. As if things couldn't get any worse, her spectacles started slipping on the skin of her nose bridge, made slick by her trickling perspiration. She tried to nudge it up with her shoulder and only made it slip even more. With her vision blurring and her limbs feeling like they would detach any moment, Rei braced herself and increased her pace.

"Go Rei!! _Clapclapclap. _Go Rei!! _Clapclapclap._ Go Rei!! _Clapclapclap."_

_I'm going to kill her. No. Skin her alive then toss her into a vat of the purest Black Sea salt._

Breaths coming out in laboured pants, she heaved herself upwards with all the strength she had left and staggered up the final step. Minako squealed in excitement.

Stumbling to the side of the walkway, she dropped her load and doubled over to place her hands on her knees to catch her fast disappearing breath.

"Yay! Rei is sooo strong, and sooo cute, and-" Minako skipped towards her and halted in her next few words as she received a particularly murderous death glare from the now ruddy-faced girl, "Soooo scary."

Rei panted and maintained her glare's steady heat. "You know . . . I could . . . be . . . in the library . . . reading . . . peacefully. But what am I . . . doing here . . . now?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Minako felt like answering it anyway. "Well, with your scowl . . ." she contemplated for a while, "Protecting me from lecherous old men, swindling shopkeepers and batty old women with umbrellas."

"All the while being your _camel_?" Rei spat furiously, "And I do not scowl!"

Minako pretended to search around in her pockets. "Where's my mirror when you need it?"

"Minako!"

"All right, all right. I'm sorry."

Rei would have accepted the apology if not for the giggle at the end of that sentence. "Uh huh. Yeah right."

"Have it your way Miss Sarcasm," the blonde gave a casual shrug and grinned, thoughtfully fishing out something from her pocket.

Unaware of the blonde's movements, Rei straightened up and was about to resume justifying her case of unfair treatment and the cruelty of slavery when something white and soft touched her face. It traveled from her forehead to her chin, assiduously dabbing away the beads of sweat and their salty trails slowly, delicately. Her face feeling moist and cool, she watched in stunned silence as Minako trotted over to a nearby dustbin to throw the damp sheet of tissue away.

Rei lifted a hand to touch her face absentmindedly, her eyes still widened in surprise.

There, that girl had done it again - extinguished Rei's blazing temper effortlessly, as though snuffing out a candle flame with a light puff. That wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be possible. When Rei was angry, she stayed angry. It was like a routine, a habit, that had been ingrained into her by none other than herself since God knows when.

At the tender age of four, her temper had been legendary in school. She had flung wooden building blocks across the classroom when she was told that her father wouldn't be able to fetch her home due to an extended meeting. She had screamed and shrieked at the teacher when she had confiscated her story book. She had gone after some insolent boy with a plastic spade with reckless abandon when he had pushed her out of the sandbox.

Right now, she was supposed to be verbally bashing up the impertinent girl before her.

But was she doing so? No.

She was standing rooted to the spot in utter and complete astonishment all because of a single piece of tissue paper. How pathetic. This was the second time in a day that Minako had stunned her into speechlessness and it was decidedly worrying. She hoped it wouldn't become a trend.

Vexed at having been taken off her guard, she pushed up her spectacles sourly.

A melodious voice near her ear jolted her out of her thoughts. "Have you ever thought of wearing contacts?"

"What?" Rei asked a little too harshly, startled at Minako's proximity to her and the randomness of that question.

"Contact lenses. Those thin films that take over the job of spectacles," the blonde explained slowly and unaffectedly, leaning in to peer at Rei's eyes through her maroon frames.

Rei waved her away, but not before taking note of what good facial features the other girl had. "I don't like sticking things into my eyes."

The bubbly girl laughed. "But it'll enhance your pretty eyes. Why don't you give it a try? Hmm?"

"Like how you tried sticking a tube full of ammonia up your nose, only to realize what a bad decision that was?" Rei snorted.

_Touché._ Minako chuckled.

Rei bent down to retrieve her book and laptop case. "No thanks, I won't take my chances. I learn from the mistakes of others," she held the eye contact of the blonde to ensure her message got through clearly and started walking.

"But think of the advantages! The _freedom_! Hindrances in your reading pleasure will be a thing of the past, yesterday's issue!" Minako called out to the girl who was now a good distance away.

Rei stopped in her tracks. _Now that __is __a valid argument._

There was a pattering of running footsteps before the golden-haired girl appeared beside her, an expectant look in her sparkling cerulean orbs. She must have sensed that she was winning this debate.

Rei looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Just how long have you been practicing that sales pitch of yours?" she narrowed her eyes questioningly at the bubbly girl, "What do you have to gain from this anyway?"

_A closer look at your beautiful eyes. _"Absolutely nothing!" Minako spread her arms and declared proudly.

When Rei scoffed and resumed heading toward the station, the golden-haired girl added, "I just have your best interests at heart. You should be flattered!"

"I'll think about it."

Rei wondered if it was too late to take that back. She winced when a particularly loud squeal burst forth beside her. A warm hand wrapped around her own and before she knew it, she was being dragged at an unholy speed by the skipping blonde in front of her.

The tinkling of Minako's airy laughter floated over her like a breezy reprieve on a sweltering day.

* * *

--

* * *

Rei stood awkwardly in the middle of the doorway as she entertained an inner turmoil on whether to turn around to make her way home, or to step forward onto strange terrain.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Minako asked nonchalantly as she sat comfortably on the armrest of a large L-shaped sofa that lined a corner of the living room, attention diverted toward a couple of letters in her hands that she had collected from her mailbox.

Rei was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she missed the question. She shuffled uneasily into the threshold of Minako's home, slowly taking in her surroundings and the lush furniture that was placed strategically to allow maximum movement and minimum waste of space. Her eyes flickered here and there to take in as much of her new environment as possible. The sofas were snow white while a selected other furniture were of darker colours to provide a contrast. The coffee table that Minako had dumped her laptop case on for example, was a deep chocolate, and the fluffy rug beneath it was a wine-red with cream coloured swirls. A 42-inch plasma television was set into the wall on a rotating base directly opposite the sofa such that it could be spun around to face the dining room on the other side.

Minako never struck her as the wealthy sort.

She took a hesitant step forward and stopped, unsure of the customs of Minako's home. The blonde's shoe-clad feet were dangling in mid-air as she flipped open the contents of one letter, and Rei wondered if she should take off her own shoes or leave them on. As much as she wanted to test her limits around Minako, she figured that messing up her house would be way past any lines drawn. After all, she firmly believed that a home should always be respected. So without further thought, she bent down to remove her shoes and placed them quietly beside the still open door which she shut softly before turning back around to face the other girl.

Rei still felt tense. She didn't deal well with new places. In fact, she really wanted to go home though it wasn't a particularly pleasant place to be in. There was a good reason why she had been remaining in the school library till late every day just so she could return home the latest that she could.

Minako turned to look at Rei curiously when she gave no reply to her earlier question. "You all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She gripped the handle of her laptop case tighter.

"You've been rooted to that same spot for five minutes already. Just so you know, I have to clean the house on my own and the last thing I need is to scrub off Rei-sized footprints off the marble."

Rei grumbled under her breath and walked forward onto the rug. It felt awkward to be in a foreign house.

Then something the blonde said before registered in her mind. "You clean the house on your own?" Rei asked quizzically.

"Yes. My parents will be away for most of this entire year so I basically have to do everything on my own." Rei picked up the dejected note that was woven in with the golden-haired girl's explanation and cocked her head to one side in surprise. Of all the times that Minako had stuck to her, Rei had never once heard the blithe girl speak so . . . sadly. She didn't think that the blonde could possibly be capable of being remotely unhappy.

"So anyway," Minako added quickly to fill in for the awkwardness and gestured toward the sofa with a sweep of her arm, "Have a seat, I'll make you some coffee."

"I hate coffee."

"Me too. It's the gesture that counts." She tossed that opinion over her shoulder with a laugh as she slid off the arm rest and headed toward the kitchen.

Rei sat down ramrod straight on the soft cushioning of the long sofa, stiffly placing both her book and laptop case on the coffee table, unable to relax. She hated it when she had absolutely no idea how she should behave in another person's home. They always told her to make herself at home. She had a feeling though, that if they knew how she was in her own, they would take that offer back in an instant. Not many people would love her combing the house in search of books and heaping them into her arms so that she may spread them out later in a mess to excitedly flip through them.

She lowered her head and shut her eyes tiredly. Security was essential for her. The familiarity of things soothed her. And Minako's home was far from familiar.

Rei knew though, that her unfamiliar surroundings had only a small part to do with her lousy mood. She sighed and slumped back into the cushions when she was sure that the blonde would be busy for quite a while. She needed to sort herself out and it had been ages ago since it was a necessity. She felt exhausted, as though her emotions were given a run on a high speed treadmill and the only way to stop was to crash into one another.

She . . . needed time away from everything to sift out her thoughts. She needed space. It felt as though an avalanche of alien emotions had mercilessly crashed down upon her in so short a time span. Everything was too overwhelming and difficult to understand, though she had more than her fair share of suspicions where they all stemmed from.

She unfolded her arms and looked down at their pale skin. They had held the blonde just hours ago.

She placed her palm to a cool cheek. They had been wiped by the blonde's efforts about an hour ago.

Rei lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut in frustration, bangs hanging loosely now that they were free. There were too many things that were being mixed and meshed together in her addled mind that her body felt the burnout as well. She couldn't wait to get home to a cold shower as much as she disliked the cold. She felt it would do her a world of good. Her world which currently felt as though it had been thrown off its axis.

Rei plucked her spectacles off and pinched the bridge of her nose. This was . . . confusing. Her head hurt. She felt disorientated.

When Minako had lain in her arms, the feel of another's body felt so foreign yet seemed to beckon her to tighten her hold on the other girl. Her emotions had warred with each other and had conjured up a maelstrom of memories that had inundated her and left her weakened and exposed. Then her pride had stepped in and saved both itself and her by barring her from irreversible actions. Minako could pry and shove her way towards her, but Rei would never allow herself to encourage the blonde by pulling her closer, literally and metaphorically. She simply wouldn't be able to live with herself should she willingly let the blonde in another step where all others had failed.

_She is in no way any more special than all the rest, _Rei had to remind herself firmly._ And she shall be treated as such. _

Her mind then flashed back to her unaided hike up Mount Fuji – No, her excruciating walk up the flights of steps. Minako had done yet another mind-boggling, shell-shocking thing.

_Why does she keep catching me off guard? I hate it when that happens._

Rei groaned out loud as confusion dominated the rest of her muddled feelings.

"Hey grumpy! What's bitten your lumpy?" Minako yelled from the kitchen. She must've heard her.

_The hell? _Startled from her deep thoughts, Rei jerked upright, her sudden action sending her spectacles tumbling from her lap to the floor with a clack. Ignoring the jovial laughter echoing from the kitchen, she bent down to retrieve them but froze when she heard frightful skittering noises. Her blood ran cold.

"Misty come back here!"

_Oh no…Oh nonononono!!_

"_Yeeaaarrughh!" _

With a cry of utter terror, Rei sprang up onto the couch, spectacles forgotten, as a grey blur zipped out from around a corner and toward her at an incredible velocity. It skidded on the smooth marble, picked itself up and hurtled forward with renewed vigor. With a squeak, she scrambled along the length of the sofa, her feet sinking into the velvety cushioning as she attempted to evade it. She plastered herself against the wall behind her as she stood on the sofa, praying that the ball of fur would be dumb enough to not know how to leap onto it.

It did.

"_Ahhhh!"_

When Minako flew out of the kitchen at Rei's commotion, she would never have expected the adorable scene before her. Here was the aloof girl, hugging the wall as if her very life depended on it as she squeezed her eyes shut, face a portrait of fright as she fixed herself stiffly like a block of wood to the sofa while Misty pranced around her feet. Minako giggled softly. She was supposed to be rushing to carry her puppy away from the other girl, but she couldn't help but stare.

Then Minako spotted the raven-haired girl's spectacles lying in a maroon tangle on the rug. That explained why the bookworm was glancing around in panic. The girl couldn't see clearly. She was about to stoop down to pick them up for the petrified girl but one look into her eyes stopped all movement.

As Rei's eyes scanned the room quickly, her violet gaze landed on Minako, unfocused, and they glittered like freshly watered violets as they fixed imploringly on her to do something, anything. The blonde was used to looking at them through maroon frames. But now that they were uncovered, unshielded, they seemed larger than she thought they were. Like the final stroke of a masterpiece, silken raven strands fell messily into her eyes and thick, curled lashes kept her bangs from harming those precious gems.

Those fathomless almond eyes. _Gods she's beautiful. _

And for a moment, all Minako could do was stare in wonder.

"Minako get it away!" Rei's now shrill voice snapped her back into action and she swiftly gathered Misty into her arms and held the puppy tightly as she squirmed in her hold, eager to inspect the stranger.

Quickly, Rei clambered down from the sofa and in no time at all, had her spectacles back on and was eyeing the puppy apprehensively.

Disappointment washed over Minako as she watched the ebony-haired girl fit on her maroon frames once again.

"You never told me you had a dog!" Rei snapped at the girl before her and almost regretted it when Minako gave a little jump at the hostility swimming in her voice.

"I didn't think it was important," came her soft reply, "I'm sorry."

What harsh words that strained to burst from Rei's mouth dissipated entirely and she mellowed out, much to her own confusion. The blaze died down to flickering embers.

"I'll go keep her in my room," Minako decided with a slightly downcast expression and started towards the corridor on her left.

A cheerless Minako just didn't sit right with her. "It's . . . I- Wait!" she called out before she could stop herself.

The girl with the puppy in her arms turned questioningly.

"You . . . don't have to. Just make sure you hold it tight," Rei said awkwardly.

And in the span of time taken to snap one's fingers, a radiant smile blossomed on Minako's attractive face. Before Rei could say another word, the blonde had skipped off to the kitchen and returned with a mug of tea dangerously clasped in one hand as she cradled the puppy with both arms. Foreseeing an accident in the immediate future, Rei hurried to her and relieved her of the steaming mug.

"I have to go soon," Rei said as she settled on the sofa tensely, cupping the mug with both hands. _I have things to sort out._

Minako gave a little nod and sat down beside Rei, Misty held safely in her arms. "I'll see you on the train tomorrow then. Hm . . . you've never told me where you live. I always see you by the time I get on," she tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully and took a wild guess, "Shimbashi?"

"Mm," Rei nodded, "Three stops before yours."

"Am I smart or what?" the blonde pumped a fist into the air.

The bookworm snorted. "Watch out, your head's inflating."

Minako slapped Rei on the arm. "Drink your tea." Misty yelped in what seemed like agreement at her owner's reprimanding action and struggled to pounce on Rei.

"Hey hey!" the raven-haired girl flung an arm out to in case she needed to defend herself and inched away from Minako and her puppy. She briefly pinpointed the position of her weighty book on the coffee table and shifted closer to it. Shield? Bat? Pile driver? All of a sudden it looked very versatile.

"Oh come on," Minako rolled her eyes, "She's harmless!"

"Well, nice to meet you Harmless. But I think I'll keep my distance all the same," Rei shimmied a tad more to her left for emphasis. Settling down, she sipped her tea and inhaled its rich, leafy scent, allowing it to soothe and assuage the lingering effects of the pooch's terrifying assault. She gazed down into the deep green of her tea and found the reflection of her own eyes, made a dark brown by the liquid, staring up at her. They looked weary, and Rei, not wanting to dwell on unpleasant issues in the current moment, puffed into her tea, and the ripples quickly distorted the image in it.

"So . . . you don't like dogs?" came the question that Rei had been expecting.

She nodded in affirmation and proceeded to explain, "I got bitten by one when I was young."

This perked Minako's interest. "What happened?"

"Nothing much," Rei waved a hand dismissively but markedly refused to meet Minako's eyes, "Just got bitten by a stray and had to go for stitches."

Minako caught that. The girl was probably only telling half the truth, but Minako decided to let it slip for now.

Sympathy shone on the blonde's face but was quickly replaced by protectiveness. "But Misty's not a stray. Besides, she's just a puppy with wee little baby jaws, right cutie pie?" the blonde cooed as she held the dog up to her face and nuzzled her nose against its wet one. It yipped in agreement and Minako chuckled. "See? She wants to get to know you!" _Not as much as I do._

"All that matters to me is that she has teeth. They aren't called chompers for nothing," Rei pointed out, "Anyway, I'm not going anywhere near Pissy."

"It's Misty!"

"Whatever." There seemed to be an undertone of amusement in Rei's brusque reply and it eased the occupants of the room into a comfortable silence.

It lasted for a few minutes before it was broken. "Rei?"

"Hm?"

"Are you doing anything this weekend?" The blonde waited patiently for the bookworm's reply.

She took a long, contemplative sip of her tea. "I'm busy. I'm busy every weekend," Rei said simply without elaborating.

Minako was unsatisfied. "Oh . . . with?"

She watched as Rei stiffened and seemed to be unable to decide what to say. When she did speak, Minako found herself thoroughly surprised. "Shrine work." Rei tilted her head back and finished off her tea.

"Shrine work?" Minako echoed, her eyes wide.

"Yes shrine work."

She'd expected the dark-haired girl to say something along the lines of 'holing up in the public library' or maybe even 'prepping for the next month's tests', but this clearly beat everything. Minako vaguely wondered if she was lying just to avoid spending more time with her.

"You . . . work at a shrine? How much do you get paid?"

"Nothing."

"Ehh??"

Rei wasn't telling her everything and she wasn't expecting her to. But it left Minako on the lurch, each of Rei's curt answers fed the growing doubt of their credibility. Doing shrine chores on weekends and earning nothing out of it? What sane teenager would willingly do that? As preposterous as that notion was, it would certainly explain the exotic scent that Minako caught whiff of every now and then. _Incense, _she thought and smiled at her clever deduction. _Strongest on Monday and fades by Wednesday. It makes perfect sense now. Maybe she isn't lying after all. _

Looking at the flabbergasted blonde, Rei sighed and decided to reveal more than she had initially wanted. She was probably going to regret this. "I go back to help Grandpa with the shrine chores."

_Grandpa? That's interesting. _The ebony-haired girl's answer cleared up some fuzz, but it wasn't enough. "You 'go back'?"

"I used to live there." Rei's reply was terse and clearly hinted at how she wanted the interrogation to end here and now. Hell, why was she even contributing to it?

Predictably, Minako paid no mind to the warnings. "So how come you don't live there anymore?"

Face a stony mask, Rei rose rigidly and placed her now empty cup firmly on the polished top of the table. "I have to be going." This was enough. Any more and the blonde would know too much for comfort. She was drawing the line here, in permanent ink this time compared to the chalked, easily obscured one before.

Before Minako could blink, the dark-haired beauty had swept up her belongings and was striding purposefully across the gleaming marble toward the door. Everything was happening so abruptly and fast that the retreating girl's name was all she could stutter out. "R-Rei!"

The bookworm's pace slowed and she eventually stopped with her back still facing the stunned blonde. "I'll see you when I see you," she said briskly.

Fingers wrapped around the door handle delicately and with a swish of her raven mane, she was gone, door clicking closed with a tone of finality.

_Me thinks I screwed up._

* * *

**Author's Notes :** It's been, what, a month? And I have a perfectly good excuse for that. One word: School.

Now I've pretty much shocked myself with the length of this chapter. I can still remember the time when I was struggling to make 1000 words. The story writes itself ne? Well, I had a sudden burst of inspiration, and I couldn't bear to chop up this chapter into two separate ones. I figured the emotional impact would've been lost.

Well, this being an extremely long chapter even for me, there are sure to be some errors here and there though I've practically dissected the entire chapter to scour for loose ends. So read and review please. It's always nice to know what my readers think. Makes my day really.

**mantikora:** Whoa . . . haha. Impatient huh. Well I must thank you for waiting a month for this update then. o.O That is if you're still around reading this. I had to brush a few cobwebs off this fic. XD

**LunarMiko07:** Minako's getting attached to Rei. But will the opposite happen as well? Heh. I'm not saying anything. And Kannazuki no Miko! Gosh it's like the best shoujoai anime I've watched. Though I thought they could really do away with the mechas. Oh and Souma as well. Really got on my nerves. "I'll protect you Himeko! I promise!" . . . honestly, they should have a sequel without Souma. Well, in my opinion anyway. XP

**0xnaomix0:** Don't put yourself down like that. Practice makes perfect. Everyone needs to start somewhere yea? So here you go, another chapter. A really long one at that. Hope it satisfies you. :)

**clover:** Yes I've finally updated. And oh maybe you're regretting telling me to write more. Heh. I've gotta congratulate you if you made it through this chapter. I myself ended up looking like this O.O after I was done editing.

**trusuprise:** Mm. Thank you for the advice really. I still have a bit of problem juggling dialogue, character development and plot development all at once. Phew. But hey I'm getting better at this. Oh and I appreciate it a lot that you've bothered to give me long replies on your secret to updating and writing. (Big, wide smile) Once again, thanks for the constructive critism. It helped muchos. :)

**secretedreamer:** I'll hold you to your promise. Muahahaha. Regretting already? XD Have you figured out what Minako's "Only one way to solve that" is? Oh and yes KnM so rocks. The art is so beautiful! You can practically _see_ Chikane's emotions swimming about her eyes. She reminds me a little of Rei. Out of curiosity, did you burst out in tears at the last episode? I did. Hm . . . have you watched Strawberry Panic:)

**Noah-13:** I'm glad you like it all so far. Well, I've taken plenty of time, so here's a particularly long chapter for you. XD

**TweekinTinkaToy:** Yes I agree that books would naturally be Ami's forte. But Rei easily struck me as the hard working type. Plus, I thought Rei being a bookworm would prove to be quite an interesting aspect to write on. Well, I think it's adorable that she loves books so much. And about the dexterous fingers part . . . (mysterious smile) . . . all in due time my friend. All in due time. XP

**balticbard:** I didn't exactly get the part where you said I was in college. And uh . . . I'm not American. I'm not even caucasian for that matter. And of course I will finish this fic . . . it's been such fun to write it. :)

* * *


	5. Chapter 4: Porcelain

* * *

**Lenz's Law**

_by_

_Licketysplat_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Porcelain**

She stood silently at the foot of the shrine steps, her feet almost buried under the wild layers of un-swept autumn leaves. She gazed up at the chipped stone, eyes tracing over the dull surface as a soft breeze lifted the ends of her raven hair. She had stood at this very spot only last week, yet it felt longer than that.

Too long.

The steps were uneven and rugged, worn from the shoes of too many tourists and too many shrine helpers. They were brittle and cracked where the unrelenting roots of trees had shattered them, yet were sturdy enough to tread on. She ascended them, head held high with a bitter smile on her lips, her feet finding each and every one of them easily, never stumbling or tripping. It was all but second nature to her - climbing these worn steps.

Rei's foot absently skipped the step with the split surface made loose by a web of roots. She remembered the salty tang of tears, the wind in her face and the step giving way like cracked porcelain. The light, jagged scar at her knee seemed to tingle, seemed to remind her. She was young then.

Too young.

And these steps too old.

"Rei, you've come."

She looked up at the wizened features of her grandfather, his face wrinkled in a toothless smile, his eyes sparkling at the sight of her.

Rei cleared a haphazard path for herself through the growing layer of leaves, frowning to herself.

"Haven't the shrine helpers been doing their job?" she groused, scowling at the full day of sweeping ahead of her.

Grandpa chuckled, a doting sort of rumble, indulgent and amused. He shuffled his feet around, kicking up a puff of dead leaves. "I've just been telling them to leave this to you. It is your specialty after all. They have been very obedient, I must say."

She had been trying to find a spot of concrete among the leaves for the past few seconds, but stopped to stare in bewilderment at him. "There must be an entire ecosystem under here by now!" she exclaimed and gestured all around her with an agitated sweep of her arms before throwing them up in the air in defeat, "God knows what's waiting for me in the backyard! Gramps, you're too much."

"That may be so," his eyes twinkled though his smile faded.

She winced inwardly at the change in mood and remained silent, watching him turn toward a cherry blossom tree, his eyes leaving her. Rei braced herself and fingered with the hem of her shirt. The branches above her rustled and crackled in the wind.

It's too early for this.

"Sometimes I'd wonder when you would stop coming entirely, when you would leave."

The wooden wind chimes by the entrance of the shrine tinkled pleasantly, but his words seemed to weigh down on her shoulders in sudden oppressiveness. Rei gave an uneasy laugh, hoping it would somehow diffuse the situation. She never could deal with issues like this. "So you blackmail me with leaves?"

It did sound ridiculous. Yet deep down she knew it would have worked. He knew that Rei could never stand the thought, let alone the sight of a leaf-littered shrine courtyard.

He cracked a wry smile. "That's all I really have right now you know."

_Leaves._

It was unvoiced, but it sounded clearly to her.

The irony ringing too loud.

She really didn't want to have this talk now. Actually, she didn't want to have a talk about this ever. She was here, at the shrine, ready to sweep for all she was worth. That's all that should matter now right?

"Come on, what are the other helpers for then, hmm?" she said waggishly, light laughter dancing in her voice, trying to ease the tension.

Without waiting for his reply, she strode towards the shrine for her hakama and broom. And if her steps seemed too hurried and if a little too desperate, at least she was leaving the thick silence behind.

* * *

--

* * *

"So then, you think you messed up something potentially good?"

"Well, there definitely was _potential_. I'm just not so sure about the 'good' part," she sighed into the phone then flung herself onto the bed, ready to tear her hair out.

It had been almost a week now, a week of hesitant glances and fluctuating courage on her part. Real pathetic actually. Well, in truth, neither of them was avoiding the other. Though sometimes she'd be the victim of her overly hypothetical brain and let it stray down the path where it thought the raven-haired girl wanted nothing to do with her ever again. She knew it wasn't fair to think that way. Furthermore she'd like to give herself the hope that Rei was just being Rei, and that the girl has yet to say a word to her ever since that day because of the sole reason that Minako could never pluck up enough courage to start, let alone plough on through a conversation without things getting entirely awkward for her. Yes, for her, because she didn't think the word 'awkward' even existed in Rei's dictionary. That girl just stuck to good ol' 'ignoring'.

Certainly she knew Minako was uneasy, and of course she couldn't care less. It was nothing unusual though. Rei naturally wouldn't talk to her if she hadn't, say, pinched for her attention first.

"Well, in that case, go apologise to her," Aino Fujiro said plainly.

"What? Dad, no! I can't!" Minako exclaimed, sounding like it was the most ridiculous thing on earth.

She could almost picture her father frowning on the other side. "Why not? From what you've told me, she doesn't seem the kind to bridge the problem first. If you're not going to do it either, then who will?"

The many reasons she came up with for not approaching the subject around Rei dissipated along with the sense in his words. While Minako may be stubborn, Rei was the bovine lying placidly in the middle of the damned road. Minako groaned in defeat. "I really have to, don't I?" _I've got to move the damned cow._

"Seems like it. Mm…well, my advice to you is that instead of walking up and stuttering like a fool…" he trailed off, pausing as if to think. "Do something."

"Er . . . dad? You're not really making any sense now," she sat up on the bed, confused.

Fujiro clucked his tongue in exasperation. "Do _something_. A gesture of goodwill, you know? Something to dull the awkwardness, but also that which encompasses an apology."

It was times like these that Minako really wished she could remain on the same frequency as her father and that he wouldn't assume she could catch up on his thoughts. "Wait, you're saying I should get her a gift?"

"Hmm…something to that effect. I was thinking along the lines of doing her a favour. But yes, that could work well too. Simpler, in fact."

She idly twirled the springy phone cord with her fingers and sighed, barely refraining from slapping a palm to her face. "Dad, I'm trying to resolve a problem which I think is thriving on my side only, not thank her for being the wellspring of my misery."

Minako loosened up at her father's hearty laughter. "Well, you do what you need to. Just remember that some people need more time than usual to open up. Don't rush it. Actually, I'm rather surprised you're attempting to make such a friendship work. You never really were interested in the broody type."

Minako rolled her eyes. "Oh trust me dad, I'm rather surprised with myself too."

He chuckled. "Anyway, I have to go now. You take care of yourself kiddo. We'll call to check up again soon."

"Ok. Bye. Oh, tell mom I said hi."

"Will do. Bye."

She ended the call and flopped back onto her bed, patting the spot next to her upon seeing Misty trot into the room. The pup leapt onto the bed and settled down into her side.

Get her a gift? Well, she could see where her dad was coming from, but wouldn't that be cheesy? What does Rei even like? She could get her a book, but how original would that be? Besides, the last thing she would want was for Rei to think that she's desperate. Which she was not. Well, maybe she was. But she wasn't going to tell the whole world that. Hell, she didn't even want to dwell on the 'Why?'.

_I can't let things remain as they are. There's no closure. _

Her groan of frustration sounded too loud for comfort in the large apartment and it creeped her out. Minako grabbed her pillow and hugged it to herself fiercely, and sulked. Thinking about what to get Rei only highlighted how little she knew about the stolid girl.

"For all I know, she's probably out and about, doing her daily Rei things, completely unaffected and sane. And what am I doing here? Hm?" she grumbled to Misty, who had taken to licking her big toe. "I'm expanding time and energy thinking of how to solve a problem that may not require solving."

Somewhere inside of her, there was a fear that Rei was simply ignoring the fact that something happened.

That _they _happened.

A bitter laugh sounded in the room. _We always end up doing things that we've been going to extremes to avoid._

And here she thought she was being painstakingly cautious with Rei. It was cruel, but since the raven-haired girl gave voice to thoughts as often as she spared Rei one of Minako's Specially Concocted Headaches, there really wasn't any other means with which to test her boundaries other than to cross the line, step on a bloody land mine and get blown to smithereens. Well, the subsequent injuries would serve as a well-placed reminder of her folly, but she'd like to keep her limbs intact.

_I'd like to keep my sanity intact too, thank you very much._

Did she not want to have anything to do with her ever? Or was she waiting for Minako to make the first move? Or maybe she was one of those people who left a relationship as it was, letting time eat away at it, leaving behind disintegrated fragments that can never be pieced together again? Dread filled her.

"She should just have a bloody signboard above her head if she can't be anymore direct than she already is! Better yet, she should wear one of those…those mood shirts! So at least people know – I know – the slightest bit of what's going on in that granite quarry of hers. Argh!"

Minako tossed her pillow across the room in exasperation and it fell against the wall harmlessly, just short of her open window, dropping to the floor with a dull thump.

She gazed tiredly out into the pearl-grey sky, watching the autumn leaves fall by the dozens, past the white square of the window pane, only to disappear from view almost as quickly as they came.

_Ugh, depressing weather. _Minako got up and was about to close the windows and draw the curtains when a lone maple leaf fluttered through, slipping through the air in large, swooping arcs before landing at her feet, still.

She plucked it up, felt its jagged edges and smooth underside, admiring its deep red hue, perfect in its intensity, and she was about to toss it out the window when the wheels started turning in her head.

A smile crept onto her face.

She withdrew her hand and shut the window firmly.

_And perfect it is . . ._

* * *

--

* * *

If peace had a sound, it would be this.

She leaned her head back onto the bark of the cherry blossom, eyes closed, ears tingling in delight.

The muted clinking of the wooden chimes, the musical rustling of charms on the old cherry blossom, the quiet crinkling of branches, the stirring of fallen leaves. Soft breezes danced by in gentle waves, the conductor of such fine orchestral melodies, crystal in its elements, warm where it filled her.

Rei breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of woody incense and freshly mowed grass.

If anything was going right now, it would be this – her sitting amidst refreshing, uncomplicated nature.

She had missed this, and if she had a choice, the power to remain here the rest of her days, she would. But things like that were beyond her control, as was much of what she did in life. Rei hadn't surrendered though; she'd like to think of herself as politely bending to a predetermined fate.

Rei loved sitting under trees. There was something about their shelter, something to lean on, that comforted her mildly. Yet somehow sitting alone under a tree now, any tree, felt strangely empty. Not gaping-hole empty, but just something out of place. Like dark clouds without the rain…

Or a blonde without a brain.

All right, she supposed Minako _does _have a brain. But that wasn't the point.

She reached into the small pack by her side and tossed some food pellets into the koi pond, watching the fish surge up eagerly, clearing the water's surface in frenzied ripples.

Rei crossed her legs under her and gazed out at the pond in quiet rumination.

She had felt mildly amused at the blonde's shifty glances and botched attempts in striking up a conversation throughout the week. She hadn't even thought anything would be different. Well, she had certainly walked out of her house without so much as a second word or glance. Granted, the girl may have touched on a sore spot, but given her outrageously brazen nature, Rei had assumed she would rocket back from a setback more shameless than before. So far, once set in motion, Minako never let up, so why would she now?

_She's like a slinky._ _A painfully pesky blonde slinky._

In fact, Rei had been prepared for said slinky, so it was rather the spectacle when the graceless blonde had vanished, only to be replaced with a perfectly bearable school girl. _That _was wrong in itself. It actually took her a while before she realized that Minako must've thought they had hit a rut and was currently wallowing in the throes of self-doubt.

That was on Tuesday. Today was Saturday.

It was funny actually.

And of course Rei had gladly decided to play along. She would just see how long it would take for Minako to quit hesitating and finally vomit out stuff that vaguely forms words. Till then, she'll just sit tight and enjoy the view of a blundering, self-admonishing blonde, which is, quite surprisingly, rather entertaining.

She chuckled lightly to herself, idly trailing the tips of her fingers along the light carpet of leaves. She surveyed the neat piles of leaves dotting the courtyard and thought she'd done quite a good job, and all that was left to do was to gather them for disposal. There was time for that later. For now, Rei was content to remain as she was, with the golden sun dappling the fiery soil.

It wasn't long before she heard the crunching of leaves underfoot that she opened her eyes tentatively, a sinking feeling in her gut.

"Don't young people like you have other things to do? Homework? Parties to go to?" Grandfather asked, his voice teasing her from where he stood above and beside her.

She cringed inwardly and told herself that this has been a long time coming. Rei stretched out her legs, looking at her knees, refusing to look at him. She couldn't bring herself to. "I'm not like other young people, Grandpa. You know that. And I'd much rather be here than anywhere else."

"You are ever so stubborn, Rei," he admonished her, all trace of humour gone like the winds that blew by. "Though I suppose I shouldn't complain. But what if he finds out? You know he will, eventually."

She flared, head snapping up, violet eyes blazing with raw defiance.

"Then let him find out," Rei spat, her voice coated thick with venom and swimming with barely suppressed hatred. She clenched her fists. "This is the last bit of freedom I possess. What more does he want? To put a collar on me, like those damned rottweilers he had?!" Disjointed images of teeth and rippling muscle flashed in her mind. She shook her head vigorously, clearing them.

She turned to face her grandfather, recovering quickly, her glare accusing. "And what about you? You're contradicting yourself. First you want me here, and then now you want me gone!"

The instant those words left her mouth, she regretted them. Grandfather deflated, guilty, casting her a look of such sadness that it broke her heart.

"You know I'd never want you gone. If anything, I'll always try to keep you coming back," he said carefully, well aware of the hothead of a granddaughter that he had. Once incensed, she raged like a forest fire. "But I don't do it without any small amount of guilt."

Rei kept silent, lips pursed and stared out at the pond. Its waters had stopped shimmering with the arrival of dreary clouds across the sun. The wind kicked up, brushing by her cheeks in a strength that mirrored her own.

"Then don't do anything," she spoke, at length, evenly and resolutely. "Because I'll be back whether you like it or not, whether _father_ likes it or not."

With a grunt, he sat down beside her and sighed. "As heartened as I am to hear those words, I'm ultimately worried for you. You're so headstrong, it's going to cost you one day."

Rei canted her head to the side and wrapped her arms around her knees, rocking herself restlessly before retorting, "Well, don't blame me. The last time I checked, one doesn't get to choose which genes they want."

She rolled her eyes and he smiled.

"Now, there's truth in those words," he gazed up at the clouds and seemed to reminisce of a time so long ago it took much effort to recall. "Your father was just like you. It took my daughter – your mother – to rein him in and drive the sense into his thick skull on more than one occasion."

A cheeky sparkle lit his eyes. " Hmm…you know what?"

She raised a solitary eyebrow at him. "Humour me."

"You should go get yourself a nice lady – not a man, no, heaven knows what you'll do to a poor chap – and then maybe you would be much less of an obstinate ass."

Rei gaped at him in complete disbelief, her eyes bugging out.

"Wha-?! No! Grandpa!" she slapped him on the arm and threw in an 'I hope it hurts good' when he winced.

And as she sulked and scowled, he teased and chortled.

And she knew, smiling under her guise of irritance, with a deep-rooted certainty that this was home.

* * *

--

* * *

Monday dawned sullen and sodden, the chill starting to kick in at last after weeks. And it was on this Monday that Minako found herself hiding behind racks of bookshelves like she had done not too long ago, fidgeting and trying to mutter words of encouragement to herself. 'Trying', being the operative word.

She had been stuck here in routine for the past fifteen minutes, pacing, then peeking through a slit in the books at the dark-haired girl in the armchair, then putting a foot forward in a burst of impulse before retreating behind the cover of the shelves, much to her own chagrin. She pounded a fist into a harmless book.

This was highly tormenting.

She was nervous.

Nervous to the point where her hands had gone clammy her heart beat fast against her ribcage.

_Oh the woe…_

A couple of students had passed by and saw her distress throwing her curious looks. She paid them no mind, telling herself that this was the be all and the end all there was to this relationship . . . thing. And may a curse befall her and her children and her children's children if she even allowed the thought of chickening out take root in her frightened being.

_Well, procrastinating doesn't count…_

But something sensible in her demanded that she stayed fast to where she was and get along with it already.

She pushed apart 'One Minute Can Change A Life' and 'The Power of Positive Thinking' with a scowl – trust her to choose an Inspirational shelf to seek shelter with – and stared with anxious eyes at the girl seating calmly and serenely, reading a new book. Yet another reminder of how long she hasn't made a move. Rei had completed that concussive book of hers while in Minako's absence.

Now that said a lot.

_Damn._

She bit her lip, took a deep breath that did nothing to ease her anxiety, and stepped out, her mind terrifyingly blank and devoid of any thought.

Every step was leaden and almost painful, but she kept up her death march anyway.

And it was almost déjà vu, much like the day they first met in the crowded train, when the sitting girl's head tipped up gracefully and brilliant violet eyes met hers through dark slanted bangs.

Her mouth went dry.

They trained on her coolly, steadily, intensely as she took one measured step by one measured step towards the girl, holding a breath that she never knew she was holding.

A breath she was holding because of the quiet beauty in front of her.

And she stopped two feet away, their gazes remaining locked, one curious and one containing underlying fear. A chill crept up her spine.

Rei's stare was boring into her, but it would be only much later that Minako would realize that there had been a twinkle of amusement behind that entire cool. She sat as she was, shoulders pulled back proudly and legs crossed elegantly, head tilted up and away from her book as Minako moved closer still.

And it was subtle, so very subtle that she wouldn't have caught it were she not sensitive to the shift in demeanor of the bookworm; the girl's stare softened, still retaining a certain level of aloofness but was gentler nonetheless, as though sensing that it took much more than Minako would have known it would take to be standing firmly in front of her this way . . .

Or how she was teetering on the brink of fleeing.

They remained as they were for what seemed like hours and whatever words she had prepared beforehand eluded her as hard as she tried to grasp at their fringes, and her mouth opened once then closed. She didn't know what she was waiting for though it felt a lot like standing in the doorway of someone's house, hesitating, nervously awaiting their permission to proceed inside. It felt as though she was hanging by a thread, swaying treacherously in the wind, each gust unpredictable.

Then Rei cocked her head to the side, the first move, a silent _**'Yes?'**_, and all of a sudden the tension vanished.

Minako smiled a small smile of relief and she watched the bookworm arch an eyebrow, her eyes glinting, her question unanswered. _**Well?**_

The blonde giggled.

The raven-haired girl propped an elbow on the armrest and rested her chin on her palm, the finger of her other hand drumming in mock impatience on the other armrest as she looked off into the distance, sighing exaggeratedly. _**Ten years later…**_

It was then that she brought her arms out from behind her, catching Rei's attention with what was in her hands.

"For you," she said softly, ending the silent conversation she had secretly been enjoying.

And in her hands lay a rectangular strip of paper, a couple of leaves in a rich red held fast to their position on top by crepe paper and there was a slit near the top to slot a page between. A singular scarlet hair ribbon was tied to the top, and it swayed gently as she stretched out her hands in an offer.

A bookmark.

It was with quiet fascination that she watched Rei struggle to arrange the emotions flashing across her face in an indiscernible streak, cautious violet eyes traveling from the gift to meet with her own smiling ones, lingering and betraying only brief surprise, disbelief and something else she couldn't identify before looking back down at the bookmark.

A long, drawn out silence ensued.

"Thank you."

The words she uttered cut through the air, soft yet firm in sincerity.

It was a mere two words but it meant the world to the blonde.

She took a step closer and Rei reached out, taking the gift delicately between her fingers.

_Jackpot._

* * *

--

* * *

While she knew fully that Minako would perceive the events of the past few minutes as a sign that things have been patched up, she certainly was thoroughly unprepared for the elated blonde's power launch at the slight space beside her on the armchair. The impact of another person's body sent her side of the cushion up, disorientating her a fair bit and so suddenly that not a word of protest could even be formed from her opened mouth, so she made do with a growl. Minako beamed at her.

"What are you doing?!" Rei hissed, narrowing her eyes at the girl who was gleefully squashed against her left side. She adjusted her spectacles and shifted around a bit, trying to rearrange herself into a less constricted position.

And by constricted – besides being compressed into a tangle of limbs - it meant trying to extract her hand from its stifled place under the fleshy round of Minako's ass.

If anything, the blonde's grin crept wider and she declared proudly, "I'm making up for lost time!"

"Lost time my ass…speaking of which, get your ass off my hand!" Rei growled ominously, and then flushed a deep scarlet as she realized that she felt a marked lack of a panty-line . . .

Minako wasn't . . . she was . . . she . . .

"For your information, _you _are groping _me. _And if I didn't know better, I'd say that you're enjoying this," Minako smiled roguishly, wiggling her bottom for emphasis.

Rei sputtered. "M-Minako!"

"Just in case you were wondering, I'm not . . . bare. I'm just wearing a thong."

The bookworm gaped at her, before yanking her hand out from under Minako with a sharp tug as if scalded, muttering to herself, "How can anyone be this shameless. . ."

There were yelps of pain and growls of aggravation as they shuffled around, jabbing and shoving each other to find a position in which nothing was touching anything inappropriate - on Rei's part at least, because she had the niggling suspicion that Minako's hand on her chest that split second had nothing to do with coincidence. And if the jostling wasn't as rough as she had intended to convey her displeasure with, then she'd just chalk it up to that fact that there wasn't space to do so, not that she didn't want to wind up hurting Minako in any way. In any case, there really wasn't any use in attempting to get the girl off her seat, and she definitely wasn't going to go find another one - this was _her _seat - so she sighed and flipped open her book. She was thankful that the commotion they had been making hadn't attracted the attention of the librarian. They wouldn't have been able to explain themselves _at all._

It took a good bit of bickering before they settled down with Minako snuggling into Rei's side, peeking over her shoulder at her book. Rei was about ready to commence The Ignoring but sensed Minako's question before anything else.

"It's Stardust, by Neil Gaiman."

She felt the blonde jerk in surprise before she hunkered down once more, wrapping her arms around Rei's left one and resting her head on her shoulder. "Oh."

Rei flipped a page before giving the girl beside her a sideways glance, the girl who was doing a remarkably accurate impression of a human starfish. "You've become rather predictable you know, and not just in this aspect," Rei commented casually. "It's sad how your novelty wears thin."

Minako lifted her head to look at Rei, amused. "Really now, then I suppose I'll have to step things up a bit. I can't have you bored of me so quickly," she mused, her cheek pressed into Rei's upper arm, sending vibrations from her speech into someplace obscure within the bookworm. "You won't be disappointed."

Rei scoffed. "Cocky much?"

"Betcha weren't expecting _that_," Minako nodded towards the bookmark clasped in Rei's hand, a proud smile lighting up her face prettily.

That same smile disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced with stark horror with what Rei said next.

"What I wasn't expecting, was your bizarre determination to wear a hole in the carpet back there." It took a few seconds for her words to sink in, it seemed, before the koala that was latched onto her arm stiffened and Rei burst out laughing at the squeak of mortification that escaped the girl's lips. "Alright, I suppose I'm not quite so bored with you now, but just so you know, next time you need to get your wits together? Don't pick a half-filled shelf."

A growl came from beside her before a stinging pain nipped at the sensitive skin of her forearm. She yelped.

"That'll teach you," Minako pouted, and seemed satisfied with the quickly reddening skin where she had pinched Rei. "And it's not funny . . ."

Rei arched a brow at the dejected note in the blonde's voice and for a moment, she almost felt regretful. Minako had now taken to sulking, head bowed and lips pressed into a tight, white line. Well, now, she realized her words had been rather insensitive, considering the amount of time the cheery girl had spent on her gift. And time she had definitely spent. Rei brushed her thumb across the thin, cream crepe paper that bound the leaves to their artistic positions, lightly tracing their defined edges before flipping the bookmark around deftly.

What she saw on the back robbed her of her breath.

She hadn't seen it before, but there, in the center and on a strip of parchment paper that was glued to the crepe paper, were beautiful kanji characters written meticulously in a thin calligraphy pen, done in a perfect vertical line with almost flawless strokes that said: "To Rei. With love, from Minako."

It was simple. So simple yet filled with so much significance that all she could do was stare wide-eyed at it, eyes burning Minako's name into her head, the inky quality an attractive contrast to the crepe paper. Her fingers hovered above the words, as if terrified that they would ruin it, smudge it, destroy it. Writing with a calligraphy pen was a feat in itself - every space between strokes had to be precise for such refined print.

_How could Minako have . . .?_

Her eyes darted to the hands curled around her arm and for the third time today, she was stunned into speechlessness. Ink stains marred the pads and sides of the blonde's fingers, some faded, some looking freshly made, the black splotches tainting the slender digits, a testament to the patient hours spent _practicing _for a mere string of words.

Something twisted pleasantly in her chest as a sliver of a smile drew across her face.

"Minako?" Rei shook her arm gently, requesting for the blonde's attention.

"Mmph."

She waited patiently for Minako to turn to look at her, granted it definitely wasn't as patient the achingly sweet girl had been, but she waited nevertheless. And when grumpy cerulean eyes finally met hers, she spoke softly, touched, attempting to convey all that she was feeling at that moment. "Thank you, again. It . . . it's beautiful."

_Like you . . ._

It was breathtaking how the blanket of unhappiness simply lifted from her face, how pink lips stretched and curled, unveiling a smile so radiant that Rei felt the need to turn away before she . . .

Before she what?

She didn't know.

Didn't _want_ to know.

She was saved the thought as Minako pointed an ink-smudged finger at the opened book in Rei's left hand. "I better see you using it," she all but ordered, face arranged into false seriousness before Rei's incredulous look shattered it and she burst out laughing.

"Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I'll have to." The bookworm smirked.

Minako eyes narrowed in a challenge. "Oh, so you weren't intending to? What were you going to do with it then, hmm?"

Disregarding the threatening note in the blonde's voice entirely, and throwing all caution to the wind, Rei laughed. She received a death glare and wondered in mild amusement how in all nine hells their positions got exchanged. Something fundamental warned her not to but she couldn't resist blurting out that she'll . . .

"Use it as toilet paper."

The scandalized look on the blonde's face was priceless, but she added on quickly in reassurance "I'm kidding. Of course I'll use it as it was intended to."

"You'd better."

And all conversation slipped away, leaving behind a snug silence that was occasionally punctuated by hisses of annoyance from Rei as the blonde slinky swatted at her hand whenever she wanted to turn the page, whining about how she hadn't finished reading. But even that dissipated after a while, leaving Rei to her thoughts and that vow she had made to herself. She brushed a thumb across her gift again, brows knitting together, conflicted emotions warring within her.

_She . . . isn't like the rest at all, is she? What position does that put me in then?_

Maybe she shouldn't have accepted the gift. But could she have had it in her to turn her golden-haired schoolmate away? Will she _ever_ have it in her? Hell, for her to even ask questions like that . . . it can't bode well.

But before she could ponder further, her thoughts were broken by a soft snore. She shook her head lightly and smiled.

_I should've expected this . . ._

"You smell nice . . ." Minako mumbled, awakened by the bookworm's movements, voice muffled by the fabric of Rei's uniform.

Rei blinked.

And as the drowsy girl's breathing evened out once more, she found herself closing her book, bookmark nestled within the pages, to watch her blonde companion sleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hmm... Rei seems to be warming up to Minako, if she hasn't already. Denial is such a bitch. This chapter contains more angst than usual, I realised, but there cannot exist fluff without angst! It's like light without dark, no pain no gain...there's a word for it, I just can't remember it for the life of me. You get the idea. Right, back to business...

OMG. Has it been this long? I should have given it another month or so before updating, make it a full year. I'm kidding. But in any case, don't blame me. Blame my muse. Really. Although she appears when I'm in the shower . . . Now this, I'm not kidding. I have sudden inspirational bouts in the shower. Ok... I think I shall stop this line of thought now.

Well, it's been a long time coming. And it's here. I'm just not sure what this entire academic year has done to my writing, but I hope it's nothing fatal. So there's this major issue I'd like to raise: I started this story without having a solid plot, therefore I now am faced with the difficulty in deciding which direction I should take this story. I do have a rough plot, I'm just not satisfied with it. I think it's rather cliched. I don't like cliches unless it's fluff. Having said that, if any of you readers have any suggestions regarding the direction that I should take this story, please do share asap because next year... will be hell for me. I doubt I'd be able to update much. That and the fact that I'm itching to write a new story, one that has been running amok in my head since a year ago. But! I learn from mistakes. I won't start it until I've got a proper plot. That or I finish the entire thing before posting. Bah. Well, hopefully this update would put some closure to this vague story arc that has been left hanging for so long. Once again, I apologise, though you should probably team up with me to bash A levels into the ground. As per normal, do let me know what you think with a review. And share any suggestions that you may have. SHANK EWW VEWY MUSH. Oh, well, you may do so on my livejournal as well if it so pleases you, though I should warn you that it's not so much a place where I post drabbles as much as it is a place where I rant and rave about my daily stuffs. (A blog that is).

**To my reviewers (though I wonder if they have run off already):**

**secretedreamer:** I think they should have a sequel for KnM. And a sequel for SP. They should just have more shoujoai anime. Period. All in favour, say 'Aye!'. XD And I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, it's length especially. Because I wonder if I'll ever be able to write such long chapters anymore. I honestly, don't know how I did that. Hope you liked this one as well!

**xXMiMiXx:** I'm sure by now school and vicious teachers may have killed you already. :( But if somehow you've survived, I'm very much thankful for your support. And yes, I do wish to answer the questions I have raised throughout the chapters, only that most times, I have problems doing so because my writing style fluctuates depending on the material I've been reading. Say in school I'm supposed to read and write argumentative essays, I don't wish to write fanfiction then because it'll probably sound oddly political. Bad. So, once again, thank you for sticking with me!

**Balticbard:** I'm flattered. Really, I am. Thank you for your wonderful praises and support!

**trusuprise:** Well now, this time, I'm sorry that my review reply is late (though I really should do private replies but I don't have the time). And omg you actually did a scene by scene critique for me. I'm touched. XD Hopefully I haven't neglected any areas that you have mentioned or left plotholes anywhere. It's a terrifying feeling. Haha. I'm looking forward to what you have to say about this chapter as well, because, like I said, I'm paranoid. Heh. Also, thank you for all the advice you've been giving me regarding writing and they really have been useful. For instance, right now, I'm wondering what the hell hit my head hard enough for me to begin this story without even a skeleton of a plan. I really should finish stories before posting huh. Oh well.

**Yuri-desu:** Well, I'm sure what you meant by 'update soon' certainly wasn't an almost year long wait. I do hope I can come up with enough plot to plough on with the next chapter though. Hope I still have your continuous support!

**mokit:** I love my versian of Rei too! The non-PGSM version that I've conjured in my head. XD But of course I love the PGSM one too. I just don't know enough to write a story based on that. But oh...isn't Keiko adorable? Heh.

**Noah Sila:** I'm not giving up on this story, if that's what you're afriad of. I don't like leaving things hanging. I'm just never really punctual. XD In any case, I thank you for your very detailed and constructive review. While I have noted the certain issues, I'm finding it painful to somehow squeeze in something to rectify it. I might when I find the time. But oh, please don't hold back on your opinion, because that's what I look forward to ultimately after every chapter update. I may not write such long chapters for this story anymore, because like you said, there thrives this amazingly elusive empire of problems. As the writer, I may see it, I may not. Most times, I do not. Meh. Well, hopefully you're still sticking around, because I'm not giving up on this!

**Krampus:** I'm glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter, and hopefully I can include more Rei/Minako interactions for the next one. And yes, I do love how there seems to exist a dichotomy of sorts between them, but yet, they are more similar than they think they are. That's what I enjoy about writing them. Ah, such a challenge. XD

**SakuBloss:** It's finally here! And yes I do very much agree that Rei simply cannot hold out much longer. She can't. Really. I'll make sure she doesn't. Heh.

**LunarMiko07:** Yes, no Soumas, no mechas. I mean, what's with the irratating guy man?! It was funny for a while, what with him proclaiming his everlasting protection over Himeko while Chikane's frenching her, but even that wore out. There needs to be more shoujoai anime I tell you. All I'm seeing now are just subtexts, subtexts and more subtexts. But that'll tide me over in the mean time. And yes I enjoy writing Rei/Minako banter as mcuh as I love reading them too. One thing I can promise? There will be more. Lots. Oh joy.

**TweekinTinkaToy, Venera22, Vanessa Riverton, 1010'jin, Supreme Distraction:** School has been a...supreme distraction, if I should say so myself. XD Now that it's over (has been for a while actually) I've updated! Man, I feel proud. Haha. I do hope that you're still sticking around, because I don't know what I'd do without reviewers. Who's gonna go anti-schooling with me then? Once again, thank you for your support and praises!

**sporadic101:** I'm touched that you've read my fic over and over again. I didn't know anyone would. o.O Much less be the cause of withdrawal symptoms! (gasps) Hopefully this'll tide you over. :) And I haven't taken my Grade eight exam. I will next year in March. It's rather painful though, my teacher demands 5 hours of practice from me a day. But do you think I care when I'm busy writing? Heh.

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